Unbroken
by Crimson Darkness8
Summary: Zedd performs the spell of undoing on Dahlia and finds himself in a situation very different than he expected. The rating WILL go up.
1. Prologue

Title: Unbroken  
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker/Sword of Truth series  
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan  
Chapter Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of the Seeker or the Sword of Truth series in any way, shape, or form. They belong to ABC Disney and Terry Goodkind. This is strickly for creative purposes and not for profit.  
Warnings: N/A  
Summary: Zedd performs the spell of undoing on Dahlia and finds himself in a situation very different than he expected.  
Spoilers: Unbroken...if u squint  
A/N: Oh yes. I have taken another ep from LotS and put my own spin on it. This is the sequel to 'Torn'. If you haven't read that yet, you probably should. This also has a splash of the books in it. Just minor stuff, no plot spoiling here. Also, I've kind of fused book and t.v. Cara in this cause well, Cara is just damn awesome and Tabrett Bethell was amazing and beautiful playing her. Just thought I'd throw that in there. ^_^  
A/N2: Other than mentioning that this too was purposely titled (those ep names are really fitting), this picks up right where Zedd performing the spell of undoing on Dahlia leaves off. No really, he stops chanting and this is what happens next. Enjoy.

Prologue

The world was blank.

A split second later, it came rushing back in a burst of various sights, sounds, and smells. It was quite disorienting, and Zedd was hoping that it was something he wouldn't have to ever get used to. He stood still, blinking once to gain his bearings. When his vision cleared, he began to take in his surroundings. His nose told him before anything else that he was near stables, the smell of horses, fresh hay, and manure mingling around him.

Before he could begin to wonder whose stables he was near, the confessor's palace came into focus just to his left, the Wizard's Keep looming up behind it. So he was in Aydindril, that answered the where of the equation, but what was he doing in Aydindril? And where were Richard and Kahlan? Where was Cara?

Just as he started towards the palace in search of answers, a young man no older than Richard ran across his path before stopping abruptly and turning to him.

"Zedd! There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you." The young man said.

Zedd took a closer look at him. He was slightly taller than Richard and of a leaner build. His hair was dirty blonde and looked as if he'd attempted to tame the messy strands but to no avail. His eyes were of a pale green color and Zedd noticed that he spoke with a slight lisp. He wore a pale green tunic to match his eyes, a brown vest, dark brown trousers and leather boots.

"Do I know you?" Zedd asked cautiously.

"What? Stop kidding around, we're going to be late." He said, taking long strides towards Zedd. The sunlight glinted off of something at his throat but before Zedd could make out what it was, the boy grabbed his arm and was pulling him towards the palace.

"Late for what?" Zedd grunted as he tried to release himself from the boy's surprisingly strong grip.

"Devotions."

Zedd stopped abruptly, dragging the boy to a stop as well. He stared at Zedd like he'd lost his mind.

"Devotions?" Zedd asked in shock. Why on earth were devotions being held in Aydindril?

"Yes and if we're not there when they start, Richard will never let _either_ of us hear the end of it." The boy replied, his patience clearly wearing thin.

"_Richard_ is at the Devotions ceremony?"

"_Yes_." The boy said in a low voice, his lisp making it difficult to tell whether he had actually hissed the word or not. "Where _else_ would he be? Now come _on_." He finished, tugging on Zedd's arm again. This time Zedd let the boy lead him away.

Of course Richard was at the devotions, he _was_ the Lord Rahl after all, but that didn't explain _why_ it was happening in Aydindril. Unless…

"Is Kahlan there as well?"

The boy's head whipped around in surprise, even as he continued to pull Zedd through the palace at a fast pace. His eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Of course the Mother Confessor is there. She _is_ the Queen Rahl. You know that." When Zedd didn't respond, he asked, "What's the matter with you?"

Before Zedd could reply, bells began ringing throughout the palace. The boy cursed under his breath and pulled Zedd faster.

That made sense. Kahlan and Richard must already be married in this reality which meant that, in a sense, the Midlands were married to D'Hara, Zedd thought as the boy pulled him up two staircases. It only seemed natural to keep up D'Haran tradition, even if Richard wasn't from D'Hara. It was a good way to bond the people of the Midlands to him.

The boy pulled him through one final corridor and into a large room decorated in red and cream silks. The polished marble floors were bare, except for a wide deep red strip of carpet leading from the door to the opposite side of the room and underneath matching curtains that were closed off. Zedd assumed the balcony where Richard would address the people of Aydindril from, was just beyond the curtains.

No longer needing to be lead, the boy let go of him and Zedd matched his quick strides across the room. He followed him through the curtains and immediately spotted Kahlan, looking as radiant as always in her white confessor's dress, to the right of the carpet. Beside her stood a little girl no more than eight years old, with golden blonde hair and blue eyes so bright she could've only gotten them from the woman standing next to her. Her hair fell in long natural curls, the ones that would've fallen around her face, pulled and pinned in the back. She was wearing a simple black dress, styled to match her mother's.

Zedd smiled warmly. It would seem that Richard and Kahlan had managed to have a child in this reality as well. He followed the young man over to them, intent on giving Kahlan a hug but a sharp tug on his sleeve prevented him from getting too close. He turned to the boy in time to see him bow before Kahlan and the little girl. There was another sharp tug on his sleeve and he took the hint and bowed as well. He didn't mind showing Kahlan and her daughter the respect they deserved. When he rose, he met Kahlan's serene smile with a proud one of his own.

"Is everything alright Zedd?" She asked after a moment.

"Everything is quite alright my dear."

Kahlan's smile turned amused and her eyebrows lifted slightly in question.

"It would seem," the boy began, drawing Kahlan's attention to him even as he stared at Zedd uncertainly. "that Zedd has already been to Ambrosio's' tavern this morning Mother Confessor."

Kahlan turned back to him, her amused smile still in place as she asked,

"So early Zedd?"

Once again, before Zedd could respond, he was interrupted, this time by a familiar teasing voice.

"I hope not. He usually manages to restrain himself until after noon."

Zedd turned to see his grandson walk through the curtains even as the strange boy pulled him out of Richard's way and to the opposite side of the carpet. Zedd watched Richard bow as they had, his brown eyes alight with love and joy at seeing Kahlan. His hair was shorter than the last time Zedd had seen it, although not as short as when they'd first left Hartland, and his beard was neat and trim. He was dressed similar to the young man that had found Zedd, except his tunic was a dark forest green and he wore the Sword of Truth on his hip.

When Richard rose to his full height, Zedd was surprised to see that the serene smile had returned to Kahlan's face and the child only smiled at him as if he were a good friend. Zedd pondered what that could mean as Richard returned the smile before walking over to stand to Zedd's left, leaving Zedd between both men.

"You're late. Where have you been?" Richard whispered, looking first at the boy and then at Zedd. The boy gave Zedd a pointed look. Then the bells finally stopped ringing, and the boy's posture straightened. With his head held high, he turned toward the curtains. Kahlan and her daughter turned to the curtains as well. When Zedd turned to ask what was happening, he saw that Richard's attention was also riveted on the curtains.

It was then that Zedd noticed the hundreds of people in the courtyard below the balcony, and that the roaring in his ears was actually the crowd's cheers. It was deafening. It was as if all of Aydindril was packed into the courtyard and spilling out into the city as far as the eye could see.

Zedd turned back just in time to see a small child walk through the curtain. It was a little girl of four or five with long wavy black hair and bright blue eyes to match the blonde girl's. To match Kahlan's. But she didn't wear a confessor's dress. Her dress was rich red with short sleeves and gold trim that split into fourths at the waist, revealing black pants and black boots when she walked. She was indeed not dressed as a confessor, but as a Rahl.

She went to hug the blonde, and when she stood before her mother, Kahlan fell to one knee. She brushed the girl's hair out of her face and then kissed both of her cheeks and finally the tip of her nose. The little girl smiled brightly, and Zedd almost staggered at how very much the child looked like Kahlan. Just then, the curtain parted again and Zedd actually did stumble slightly.

Cara Mason stepped through the curtain next. But she looked nothing like the Cara Mason Zedd knew, with her red leather and short uneven hair. Nor did she look like the school teacher from the last reality, with her long curly hair and colorful dress. _This_ Cara wore a blood red vest with gold trimming and a high collar. It was open at her throat and plunged in a V on her chest. Though not as deep as her leather, her smooth skin was still visible. The vest was sleeveless, putting Cara's arms, with their tan skin and sleek muscles, on display. It fit close to her torso, leaving no doubt that she was a woman, and stopped at her waist.

Where the vest left off, tight black pants that hugged her body like a second skin, began. They showcased strong, firm thighs and made her long legs look even longer. And to finish the ensemble, she wore a pair of polished black boots that came to mid-calf. Her light straight hair fell just past her shoulders, a few strands brushing against them whenever she turned her head. Cara looked like any Lord Rahl Zedd had ever seen, leaving him utterly baffled.

His confusion only grew as Cara walked over to the eldest of the two girls. She leaned over and kissed her forehead, her blonde hair mixing with the child's, whose hair color was the exact same shade. While the child just barely managed to keep her smile from turning into a grin, her eyes seemed to shine with the love and adoration she felt.

Next, Cara offered her hand to Kahlan who was still kneeling before the second child. Kahlan took Cara's hand and rose to her feet, her joy barely contained in her smile. Zedd's eyebrows furrowed as Cara bent her head to softly kiss the back of Kahlan's hand. Kahlan's eyes burned so fiercely with love that Zedd had to briefly wonder if he was dreaming. He had rarely ever seen Kahlan respond that way except for a few times with Richard. Zedd glanced at Richard to see his response to the entire situation and was shocked to see that Richard seemed just as happy. He was confounded. Everyone _seemed_ like themselves, yet not quite.

Zedd pinched his thigh, hard, and winced at the pain. So, he wasn't dreaming. But if he wasn't dreaming, what did all of this mean? He watched as Cara let go of Kahlan's hand in order to give hers to the youngest girl. When the child took Cara's hand happily and smiled up at her, something shone so brightly in Cara's green eyes that Zedd had no trouble identifying it.

_A father's pride,_ Zedd thought in awe. Cara gave the child a small smile before leading her to the balcony. It was then that Zedd noticed the small step stool flush against the balcony railing. The girl stepped onto it, instantly making herself visible to the still cheering crowd below. Cara stood beside her and the cheering grew in volume for a moment before everyone fell silent. If Zedd had any doubts about what was going on, what happened next put things into a shining clear perspective.

Almost as one, the crowd in the courtyard and in the streets, sank to their knees. Richard and the boy that had found him went to their knees as well and bowed their heads. Zedd got to his knees quickly, not wanting to draw attention to himself. That left Cara, Kahlan, and the two girls, the only ones standing. Kahlan and the blonde child's heads were bowed as if in prayer, their hands clasped before them. As one, all the voices around him rang out.

"Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours."

Zedd stared in total shock as his mind registered what he was witnessing. Cara stood tall and strong, her hands clasped behind her back as she looked out over the people. The child beside her also stood tall and strong. Her back straight, head held high, and arms to the side. Where just a moment ago, there was a happy, childlike expression on her face, now there was quiet contemplation.

"Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours."

Zedd wasn't just seeing Cara and a child who was most likely Kahlan's. He was seeing the people of Aydindril devote themselves to the Lord Rahl. His eyes went to the girl again, a light breeze blowing the hair away from her calm face.

He was seeing the future Lord Rahl.

"Master Rahl guide us. Master Rahl teach us. Master Rahl protect us. In your light we thrive. In your mercy we are sheltered. In your wisdom we are humbled. We live only to serve. Our lives are yours."

TBC


	2. Chapter 1

Title: Unbroken  
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker/Sword of Truth series  
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan  
Chapter Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of the Seeker or the Sword of Truth series in any way, shape, or form. They belong to ABC Disney and Terry Goodkind. This is strickly for creative purposes and not for profit.  
Warnings: ...Nah, pretty tame here..unless you're allergic to fluff..or twists...  
Summary: Zedd performs the spell of undoing on Dahlia and finds himself in a situation very different than he expected.  
Spoilers: A little of this, a little of that *cough*Fever,Reckoning,Marked,Torn,Bound,Vengeance,Extinction,Eternity, and Tears...if u squint of course, ^_^'  
A/N: Sorry it took so long but here it is, chapter 1 of Unbroken. I also want to point out that if you haven't read the PREQUEL aka TORN yet, you definately, DEFINATELY should. Happy reading, ^_^

Chapter 1

"Bags." Zedd whispered.

Devotions had lasted an hour and now they were in the Councilor's Chambers. He stood near the back wall watching as dignitaries and military officials alike personally congratulated and pledged their allegiance to young princess Kari Rahl, as they had no doubt done with her 'father'. Throughout that time, Zedd had also learned that the blonde girl's name was Dahlia Rahl.

Upon hearing that, it occurred to Zedd that all of this was due to him erasing Dahlia from Cara's past. How such a little thing could've caused all of what he was seeing to happen, he had not the slightest clue. The girls sat proudly on smaller versions of the First Chair, Dahlia on Kahlan's right, Kari on her left.

"Bags." He whispered again.

"Did you say something Zedd?" Richard, who was standing next to him, asked.

"Hmm? Oh nothing boy." Zedd replied, still trying to figure out what went wrong. It couldn't have been the spell, so what?

The doors opened just then and Zedd immediately felt the tingle of Powerful Magic in the air. A woman, with long blonde hair and wearing a simple sleek black dress walked into the room. There was an sensual aura about her but Zedd could see that when people stepped out of her way, it was out of fear and apprehension. She turned her head, taking in everyone in the room and Zedd instantly recognized the piercing blue eyes.

"What's _she_ doing here?" Zedd asked. He never took his eyes off the woman.

"Who?" Richard asked trying to spot who Zedd was talking about.

"_Nicci._" Zedd whispered harshly.

"Oh. She must have just returned from her trip. She was probably in a hurry to get back in time for the princess's first Devotion. Since she missed it, she'll most likely come with us to D'Hara."

"Why would we go to D'Hara?" He asked distractedly, watching Nicci's every move as she walked across the hall, straight to where Kahlan and the two girls sat. Even though no one seemed particularly alarmed by Nicci's presence, he was still wary.

"We always go to D'Hara for the winter." Richard said, turning to look at Zedd. When he didn't respond, Richard touched his shoulder. "Zedd, are you alright.?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Zedd responded, waving his hand dismissively.

Richard shrugged. Zedd _seemed_ like himself.

"Anyway, Nicci is probably here to report her findings from Nicobarese to our mistress." He said finally.

Zedd nodded absently. He was about to ask why Nicci was in Nicobarese, as he watched her bow to Kahlan and the princesses, when what Richard had said finally registered in his mind.

_Our_ mistress.

He looked at Richard slowly and for a long moment.

"Richard," he started carefully. "Are you and Nicci confessed?"

"Yes." Richard looked at him strangely. "So are you."

Everything for Zedd came to a screeching halt.

Confessing Nicci was to be expected. He would have been surprised if she hadn't been confessed. But for Kahlan to confess him _and_ Richard? Something was definitely wrong. He couldn't just tell them what he'd done and ask what was going on like before. He would have to be very careful this time around.

"Zedd, are you sure you're alright? How could you forget…" Richard began, looking at Zedd in concern. Then his expression changed to realization as a thought occurred to him. "Shota. She must have cast the spell of forgetting on you again. But why?"

Zedd looked at Richard as he tried to figure out why Shota would want to erase his memories. Leave it to his grandson to keep searching until he got answers that made sense. He'd decided to stop him before Richard came across the truth.

"No no my boy, it's nothing like that. When I woke up this morning, I found myself on the floor and my head aching. I must have slept rather fitfully last night and hit my head on the dresser when I fell. It left quite a nasty bump. Anyway, when I awoke, I hardly remembered my own name."

"When you hit your head, you must've lost your memories. Like when Jennsen was attacked by Darken Rahl's men." Richard supplied.

"_Exactly_. Just like Jennsen."

"That would explain why Declan found you wandering around the stables today." Richard said as he thought about what Zedd said.

"Declan? Is that the ruffian who nearly tore my arm out of it's socket today?" Zedd asked.

Richard smiled a little at that.

"Yeah. He can be a little aggressive sometimes. He doesn't like to disappoint Lord Rahl or mistress and he certainly doesn't like to disappoint the princesses." He said before his expression dissolved into concern again.

"Zedd, maybe we should ask Nicci about your memories."

That idea alarmed Zedd. He knew that if he were to keep from being discovered, he needed to stay away from Nicci and he especially needed to stay away from Kahlan. He was certain she would see through him immediately. He gave Richard a reassuring smile.

"That wont be necessary, I've already begun to gain some of my memories back. Besides, you know magic cant help with this. I just simply need to be reminded of certain things, like you did with Jennsen."

"Are you sure? I guess I could understand how you could forget being confessed if you weren't around our mistress, but to forget Declan? You've known him half his life. We practically raised him ourselves."

"Half his life? Richard, he must be at least twenty years old."

"Yeah. We found him, orphaned by banelings, after we defeated the Keeper, ten years ago."

_Ten years_. Zedd was stunned, the reality of just how far off course the spell of undoing had thrown him finally setting in. He was in very big trouble.

Declan walked into the room at that moment, looking around quickly before spotting them. He motioned at Richard and Richard nodded before turning back to Zedd. The light glinted off of something and Zedd saw that Richard wore a silver chain with a strange pendant resting on his chest. He realized that it was the same thing Declan had around _his_ neck. Nicci had been wearing one as well.

"Zedd listen, I have to go. Do you remember Ambrosio's tavern?" He asked.

"_Of course_ I remember Ambrosio's tavern. No extent of memory loss could ever make me forget that place." Zedd said, a large grin on his face.

Richard smiled.

"Of course not. Why don't you meet me there later today? Hopefully by then you'll have your memory back."

"Hopefully." Zedd agreed, still smiling as Richard nodded and left. He looked at Kahlan and when she caught his eyes, he bowed. When he met her eyes again, she was smiling. Thankfully, this _Declan_ had told her that he thought Zedd had already been to Ambrosio's, so if she thought he was acting strange, she could simply blame it on that.

Once he was out of the chamber, his smile faded. How was he ever going to get out of this situation? There was no way he'd be able to keep up his charade for long and he had no hope of suddenly remembering anything. After all, ten years was a long time to remember things he'd never done.

* * *

Once Zedd was gone, Kahlan looked around the chambers, not at all surprised to find it mostly empty. Nicci had that affect on people. She turned to address the sorceress.

"Sister Nicci, welcome back. How was your journey?"

"Thank you mistress, my journey was pleasant enough. I'm only sorry that I missed the princess's first Devotions."

Kahlan nodded once in understanding.

"How were things in Nicobarese? What of the rumors?" She asked.

"Sadly, the rumors were true mistress. The Fold was revived."

Kahlan frowned at the news before asking,

"Were you able to locate them?"

Nicci smiled smoothly.

"Yes mistress. Luckily we got word of what was going on, early in the Fold's reorganization. They didn't have too big a following just yet. However, while small, they were fierce in their 'beliefs'. Violently so."

"And what did you do about this small, violent group?"

Nicci's eyes glowed briefly with the power of her Han.

"I took care of them at my discretion, like you asked, mistress."

Kahlan stared at her. She knew that sending Nicci was _more _than necessary but the Blood of the Fold were dangerous. The Fold was made up of closed-minded, ignorant fools who hated what they did not understand. Not only were they a threat to all forms of magic and magical creatures, including herself, they were a threat to her children and _that_ she could not abide.

By sending Nicci to handle the situation, she sent a clear message to all those who were like-minded of the Fold. She wanted to make sure the people of the Midlands knew that sects like the Blood of the Fold would no longer simply be tolerated and allowed to do as they pleased. They would be shown no mercy.

Kahlan nodded. Even though Nicci hadn't asked aloud, Kahlan knew she wanted to know if she'd pleased her mistress.

Just then Cara strode into the room and Kahlan couldn't help the smile that came to her face. Cara had disappeared shortly after Devotions. She never liked being around the city's officials, saying that if they truly wanted to prove their worth, they could do so with a sword, not by how low they could bow.

Cara walked across the room to stand next to Nicci. She looked at her and said,

"Nicci, I'm glad to see you've returned safely."

"Thank you Lord Rahl." Nicci replied, bowing her head.

Cara gave a small polite smile in return before turning to Kahlan.

"My Queen." She said, tilting her head respectively in a slight bow.

"My Lord." Kahlan responded while returning the gesture, her smile still in place.

Cara's smile warmed before she began speaking again.

"I've come to escort Dahlia and princess Kari to their lessons."

Kahlan arched an eyebrow. Normally the girls were taken to their lessons by Richard or Declan, so this made Kahlan wonder what Cara was _really_ up to. Cara only continued to smile. Kahlan looked at Dahlia, then Kari. Both girls almost seemed to be vibrating with excitement.

"You may go." She said, smiling fondly as she watched her daughters attempt _not_ to run to their father.

Cara took both girls by the hand and nodded once more to Kahlan before leading them away. Cara managed to take the girls down two different corridors before Dahlia finally asked,

"Where are we going father?"

Cara kept looking ahead, knowing that she wouldn't be able to keep her face straight if she saw either girl's excited smile.

"I told your mother that I was taking you to your lessons." She said seriously.

Both girls stopped, pulling Cara to a stop as well. Neither girl spoke until Cara was forced to look at them. When she looked at Kari, she was looking up at her with clear blue eyes.

"Is that where we're going pa pa?" She asked innocently and Cara's resolve not to smile melted like ice under wizard's fire. Cara knelt before them.

"No, that's not where we're going."

Both girls beamed.

"But we have to hurry before your mother becomes suspicious."

When they nodded, Cara began leading them again. It still took them about a half hour to get changed into more appropriate clothes and packed but Cara wasn't worried. Even if Kahlan was finished meeting with Nicci, there was no way for her to know what Cara was doing until her and the girls were long gone, especially with Cara sneaking them through the servant passages.

Just before they turned down the last corridor that would lead them into the kitchens and out the back door, Cara, Dahlia, and Kari stopped short. Kahlan appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, looking as if she'd been waiting for them. Cara tilted her head uncertainly.

"How did you…?" She began to ask when Kahlan said,

"Kara."

Just then, the culprit stepped our from behind Kahlan and sat beside her.

Kara was a heart hound hybrid that Shota had given to the girls as a gift when she was just a pup. She was much larger than a wolf but small for a heart hound with blonde fur rather than tan. Her fur was also longer than that of a hound and soft to the touch. She had a long muzzle full of big teeth, rounded ears, and where heart hounds had yellow eyes that glowed in the dark, Kara's were green.

Shota had sworn that she hadn't been the one who'd magically altered the hound. She said that she'd found the pup half starved and severely wounded, on the edge of Agaden Reach. When she picked it up and it's green eyes leveled her with a fierce glare, Shota instantly knew where she belonged.

Cara had immediately been against the idea of letting such a dangerous animal near Dahlia and Kari, but they'd instantly fallen in love with the pup and it had instantly fallen in love with them. It was very smart, loved the girls fiercely and was extremely protective of them. Kahlan and the girls had agreed that Cara and the hound were exactly alike and named her 'Kara'.

"Traitor." Cara said, leveling the hound with a stare. Kara just returned the stare.

"You didn't really think you could take the girls, leaving Kara behind and expect her to be happy about it, did you?" Kahlan asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I didn't expect her to be happy, no, but this is just pure spite."

Kahlan smiled at that.

"And just _where_ are you sneaking off to, since this obviously isn't the way to the girl's classroom." She asked.

"We're going into the forest, to hunt and track."

"Oh?" Kahlan asked in surprise.

Cara shrugged nonchalantly.

"Learning how to survive on their own is just as important as learning the different languages of the Midlands for Dahlia and Kari."

"While I agree, _I've_ never snuck the girls away when they're supposed to be learning High D'Haran, a language all but dead might I add, with mistress Berdine." Kahlan pointed out.

"True. You were too busy creating mischief of you own." Cara replied casually. Before Kahlan could protest, she continued.

"As I recall, the last time we were in D'Hara, you and the girls thought it would be entertaining to hide away the things I needed and send me on a scavenger hunt to find them. As for High D'haran being a dead language, that didn't stop you from writing the clues in it. And if all of that weren't bad enough, you somehow managed to convince Berdine not to help."

She turned her steady gaze from Kahlan's ever widening smile and stared pointedly at Kara.

"I never did find the dead pheasant that was hidden in my personal chambers." She said. Kara only stared at her blankly, as if she had no idea what Cara was going on about.

Kahlan stifled a laugh while Dahlia and Kari giggled.

"That wasn't my idea." She said once she was sure her laughter was under control.

"No." Cara responded, turning her gaze calmly back to her. "But you didn't quite discourage it either, did you?"

When Kahlan only smiled, Cara continued.

"So, the way I see it, since you're allowed to have your fun while we're in D'Hara, I think it's only fair that I be allowed my own fun when we're in Aydindril." She said, waving her hand nonchalantly.

"Is _that_ what you think?" Kahlan asked with an amused smile, her eyebrow arched.

Cara stared at her for a moment before turning to their grinning children.

"This is why you never marry for convenience. It's never an equal partnership, always a compromise." She said seriously, causing the girls to laugh. Kahlan swatted her shoulder.

"Hush, or I'll confess you." She teased.

"Not in front of the children Mother Confessor." Cara responded before stepping into Kahlan's personal space and whispering, "Maybe later."

Kahlan closed her eyes at the shudders crawling up her spine. Cara leaned her head in and lightly nuzzled Kahlan. Dahlia and Kari smiled as they watched their parents simply enjoy being close to one another. Cara pulled back slightly so that she could see Kahlan's eyes.

"I promise to have them home before dinner." She said softly.

Kahlan stared at her for a moment longer, loathe to give up Cara's warmth, before saying with exaggerated exasperation.

"Fine, go ahead gallivanting in the woods if you must."

Cara smiled and Kahlan couldn't help but do the same.

"And take Kara with you since I'm sure you're not taking Declan, Richard, or any of the Home Guard." She said when Cara went to take the girl's hands again.

"Taking Declan or Richard is unnecessary and we don't need the Home Guard stomping around, scaring off all the animals. But Kara is free to come along since she obviously can't survive without us for a few hours." Cara said off-handedly as she ignored the heart hound's glare.

Kahlan just shook her head as she watched her family begin to walk away. Just before the group rounded the corner, she called out.

"Bring back something good."

"Of course." Cara responded, turning to look at her.

Kahlan smiled.

"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to Kara."

Cara stared at her for a moment, her eyes squinting slightly before she turned and walked away. She rolled her eyes as Kara looked at her smugly, Kahlan's laughter following them into the kitchen.

* * *

"Let me see if I have all of this right. We defeated the Keeper ten years ago, after which Cara became the Lord Rahl, married Kah-, I mean our _mistress_ and had two daughters whom we take to D'Hara every other six months so that they can become familiar with both kingdoms they'll eventually inherit?" Zedd asked in one long breath.

He'd gone to Ambrosio's tavern immediately after leaving the confessor's palace and waited until late afternoon when Richard had finally arrived. While he waited, he thought over all he'd seen and learned and was now presenting his conclusions to Richard. They were sitting in the furthest back corner, so that Zedd could keep his eyes on the entire room, just in case someone had wandering ears.

Richard nodded.

"Does any of that seem familiar?" He asked at Zedd's look of concentration.

Zedd looked at him and smiled disarmingly.

"Sorry my boy, I'm as blank as a door nail. Perhaps, if you start at the beginning?"

"Okay, sure. Where should I begin?" Richard answered easily.

"Let's start with Darken Rahl's death. He _is_ dead isn't he?" Zedd asked cautiously.

"Yes. He died by destroying the Boxes of Orden."

"And thereby tearing the veil between the Underworld and the land of the living." Zedd supplied.

Richard nodded again, this time with a small smile, thinking that Zedd was starting to remember.

"What happened after that?"

Richard then began to tell him of their adventures after that point. Zedd would input what he already knew, well aware that Richard would assume he was slowly regaining his memory. On occasion he would ask unnecessary questions to keep up his ruse since he knew they would eventually arrive to the point where things had changed between his own reality and this one.

"Do you remember when Mistress split in two after the amulet of Olderan broke?" Richard asked.

"I believe I do." Zedd said, pretending to concentrate.

"If I remember correctly, the amulet broke because K-mistress's heart, her desire to stay with you and her head, her duty calling her back to protect Aydindril, were in conflict. Combined with the Powerful Magic of the amulet, mistress's desire and her duty separated into two different beings."

Richard nodded before picking up where Zedd left off.

"At first, Kahlan didn't seem any different, until she tried using her powers and found out that they were gone. So we decided to go to Aydindril to find you. But when we got there, another Kahlan was there, sentencing you to death. Do you remember?"

"Oh yes, I remember that. I also remember that you tried to reason with that Kahlan which lead to a fight that resulted in you and Cara being captured. Then Kahlan took Cara away but Cara returned after subduing her before the day of my execution and I was able to put the two Kahlan's back into one...What?" He asked at Richard's confused expression.

"Zedd, Cara never came back. We stayed in the dungeons the whole night. In the morning, you, the Kahlan that had been confessed, and I were brought before our mistress. With Cara standing on her right, she judged me guilty of treason, not only to the Mother Confessor but to the world for forsaking my quest for my own selfish desires. My punishment was to be confessed and forced back to finding the Stone of Tears. She also judged you guilty but revoked you death sentence so that you could aid me on my journey.

"When I asked what would happen to Cara, Mistress told me that Cara had become her mate. At the time, I lost control of the sword's anger and I attacked. Cara stepped in front of Mistress and took the sword's magic. She only used enough of it against me to make me drop it. Then she stepped behind me and pressed her agiel to my shoulder so that I would kneel before Mistress who then confessed me.

"I know now that I was wrong to defy Mistress and try to hurt Cara. She only wished to please our mistress as I do now. After I was confessed, she released my sword's magic and they've both thankfully forgiven me. Now I'm able to serve them to the best of my abilities."

Zedd stared wide-eyed at Richard. He could hardly fathom what he was hearing. Why hadn't Cara come back that morning? What could have caused her to ever hurt Richard? Granted, it was the least amount of pain she could inflict, but to harm Richard at all? Then what he'd done came to him.

Dahlia.

He had erased Dahlia from Cara's past. But how could one simple mord'sith missing from her life make such a difference? Sure he'd noticed that Cara and Dahlia were closer, more affectionate for a mord'sith anyway, than anyone he saw Cara interact with, except maybe Kahlan. Still, Dahlia couldn't have played such a pivotal role in Cara's life, could she? After all, she was just another Mord'Sith, or had she been something more to Cara and without her in her past, Cara was someone different?

"Zedd? Are you alright?" Richard asked at Zedd's intense frown and deep concentration.

"Hmm?" Zedd asked, coming out of his thoughts.

"Is everything alright?" Richard asked again.

"Oh, yes. Everything's fine. I'm just having a little trouble remembering that particular day. Tell me what happened after you were confessed."

"Well, you got angry, really angry and almost got out of your bindings but Cara stopped you and made you kneel as well. Mistress said that she could see that you were upset. She asked you to look past your emotions for me, so that you could understand that what she'd done was for the best, not only for the Midlands, but for the entire world. You told her that you understood but when she looked into your eyes, she could tell that you were lying.

"You were confessed and when asked, you admitted that you were going to put the amulet back together the first chance you got. You confessed that if that hadn't freed me, you would've tried to kill Mistress. Then you begged her forgiveness and when she gave it, you thanked her and pledged yourself as wizard of the First Order, to be in her eternal service."

"Is that when we returned to finding the Stone of Tears?" Zedd asked, not sure what else to say.

"No, we left the next morning."

"All of us?"

"Well Mistress stayed in Aydindril but you, me, the other Kahlan and Cara left."

"Why didn't Cara stay?" Zedd asked. If she'd agreed to be Kahlan's mate, why didn't she stay to protect her?

"Cara suggested that she go so that we had a better chance of finding the stone faster and Mistress agreed.

Zedd nodded. That made sense.

"How long did it take us to find the stone?" He asked.

"About two weeks. It would've been sooner but we had a few distractions."

Zedd's eyes widened.

"That fast?"

Richard nodded.

"Cara explained that the faster we found the stone and sealed the rift to the underworld, the safer Mistress would be. We all agreed. When we weren't eating or sleeping, we were riding hard, following the compass. We fought only when absolutely necessary.

"Because our movements were completely different from before and almost always constant, the Keeper, Darken Rahl, or the Sisters of the Dark couldn't pinpoint where we were or what we were going."

"If the Keeper wasn't able to send his minions after us, what were the distractions you mentioned?"

"Well, when we first started out, Nicci managed to find us. Turns out that when we just seemed to vanish, her sisters blamed her for their failure to kill Kahlan, and turned on her. She managed to find us on her own and performed what she called a 'maternity spell' on Kahlan."

"But, with Kahlan not whole, the spell wouldn't have worked." Zedd said, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"It didn't, but Nicci didn't realize that."

"So when she let Cara capture her the next morning, she had no idea that she'd willingly made herself our prisoner." Zedd answered, putting the pieces together.

Richard nodded again, this time with a small smile.

"Well don't just sit there smiling, what happened next?" Zedd asked impatiently. Richard's smile grew larger before he continued.

"Once Nicci realized her plan had failed, she tried to escape but Cara subdued her. We all agreed that it was too dangerous to continue our quest with her, so we took her back to Aydindril. Once she was confessed, we left her with Mistress and started on our journey again.

"A week into our travels, the compass led us across the path of my father."

"Panis Rahl." Zedd supplied, remembering how he had almost killed someone he once considered a good friend.

"Yeah. He explained that he wanted to atone for his sins and that he had the key to using the Stone of Tears. Cara was suspicious at first, but he swore that he only wanted to help, and she threatened that if he was lying, she would make him regret the day his mother spread her legs for his father. Her words, not mine." Richard chipped in with a sheepish grin.

Zedd could see that Richard still held that boyishness he always had, even at thirty years old. It warmed his heart to know that his grandson hadn't lost who he was even after ten years of being confessed.

"Anyway, it turned out that Panis was telling the truth. He led us to a scroll that had instructions about what to do once we had the stone. But-"

"But we needed the light of a Nightwisp to read what it said." Zedd finished.

"That's right. We went to the Nightwisp forest, read the instructions, and then went after the stone again. When we got close, you mentioned that the place we were nearing was cloaked in Powerful Magic. Cara didn't like it, so she and I continued to follow the compass while you and Kahlan stayed behind.

"We found the stone but it turned out to be in an enchanted valley that we got stuck in. It wasn't until we found a woman who had the means to contact someone outside the valley that we were even able to tell you and Kahlan what had happened."

Zedd nodded.

"I remember. The young woman and her male companion had matching enchanted rings that allowed them to communicate no matter where they were. You sent the young man to find me and C-Kahlan and then asked me to perform the spell of retrieving to get the stone out of the valley. Once I had, the compass led you out of the valley as well."

Zedd thought for a moment.

"If it only took us two weeks to find the stone, and we had to place it at the Pillars of Creation under the noon day sun on the summer solstice, what did we do for the whole month in between?" He asked.

Richard smiled at that.

"Cara decided that instead of going straight to the pillars and giving the Keeper that time to find us, we would make ourselves 'visible' so to speak, for short periods of time and always in a completely random and different location than before. Then we started defeating banelings in a circle around where the first rift had appeared, to make it seem as if that's where we needed to be and was staying close. Half a week before the solstice, we rode non-stop to the pillars and made it just in time to seal the tear in the veil." Richard finished.

Zedd had to admit that it was a clever way to keep the Keeper and his minions off their true trail.

"When did we find Declan?"

"It was a day after the veil had been closed. We came across a deserted village. There was nothing but dead bodies, or at least we thought so until Cara found him in one of the houses. He hadn't wanted to leave his father, who was dead, but we convinced him that it would be safer if he came with us.

"We took him to the nearest inhabited village and found him a family who would take care of him. When we left however, he followed at a distance. Kahlan was worried about him but Cara said that when he got hungry, he would go back. He followed for two and a half days before she finally decided to put a stop to it. When she went to confront him though, he held his ground.

"They just stood there staring each other down, Cara with her arms crossed and Declan with his curled into defiant fists at his sides. Finally Cara told him to keep up and not to fall behind, just like that. He hasn't fallen behind since."

Zedd sat there for a moment, pondering all the things he'd been told so far. Richard took the time to order a drink from a nearby barmaid. The chain he was wearing caught Zedd's attention again and once Richard got his drink and the barmaid was gone, he asked,

"Richard, what's that around your neck?"

Richard grabbed the chain by its pendant to hold it up.

"This? It's the crest of those who protect the Rahl family."

"Isn't that what the Dragon Core is for?"

"Yes, but this is different. The house of Rahl, the Lord Rahl has the mord'sith and the Dragon Core as their personal guard. The Mother Confessor, our mistress, has the Home Guard but Lord Rahl and mistress only trust a select few to personally protect their family.

"There are mistresses Berdine and Raina, who stay in D'Hara. You and Nicci who alternate staying in Aydindril to protect the Wizard's Keep, and then there's Declan and I, who always travel with the family."

"I can understand why everyone else would be chosen, but Declan? He hardly looks like he can protect himself, much less Lord Rahl and her family." Zedd replied.

Richard laughed at that.

"He may not look like much but Declan is a very capable fighter, with _and_ without weapons. Sometimes, when he fights, it's as if he's possessed by the Keeper himself. In those times, even _I_ have trouble getting him under control. Only the sight of Cara or the princesses can calm him, almost instantly. He belongs protecting them as much as any of us. As for the chain, only we selected few wear them as the only identification to who we are."

"I don't have one." Zedd said, looking at his chest.

"Of course you do. It's _under_ your robes." Richard pointed out.

Zedd patted himself down before reaching inside his robes and pulling out his own chain.

In his palm sat the strange pendant he'd been seeing, the crest of the Rahl family. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary rendering of the Grace but a closer look revealed the twin 'R's of the house of Rahl inside the star, in the center of the Grace.

* * *

Dahlia and Kari sat before a fire pit deep in the woods, Kara lying beside them. Since they were both still a little too young to actually hunt and kill game themselves, they'd spent the entire afternoon picking different animals to practice tracking. Now they were taking turns building a fire while their father was getting fresh water.

Dahlia was stacking kindling while Kari drew patterns in the dirt when Kara's head rose from her large paws. She released a low growl. The girls looked up to see a thin man step out of the shadows of the setting sun. He was scrawny, on the verge of malnourishment, his dark shirt and trousers dirty and grimy. He wore no shoes and was constantly looking over his shoulders as if he expected someone to jump out and surprise him.

At first the girls thought he was a beggar but then he pulled a large butcher's knife from behind his back. He glanced over his shoulder again but when Kara's growl grew louder, he turned his dark brown eyes on them.

"S-shut your stupid guard dog up o-or I will." He said, his voice shaky at first before growing stronger. He pointed his knife at the still growling Kara in warning.

Both girls stared at the man before Kari spoke.

"Can you not see?" She asked innocently.

The man's eyes flicked to hers.

"She's not a dog or a guard. She's a Heart hound and our friend." Kari's eyes flashed briefly. "And she's not stupid."

As if to prove Kari's her point, Kara got up on all fours, her head lowered and ears flattened back. When the man looked at her, she snapped her jaws, barking sharply. The man took a frightened step back, but stood his ground. When Kari put her hand on Kara's neck, stopping her from advancing on the intruder, he said,

"F-fine. J-just keep her quiet." His voice had gone shaky again, his confidence fleeing. Still, he kept his knife pointed at them as he said,

"A-as long as you do as I say, I w-won't hurt any of you. Now g-give me your packs and any coins you have, quickly."

"When our father comes back, hurting us will be the last thing on your mind." Dahlia stated simply. It wasn't a threat, it was fact.

The man swiftly looked over his shoulder again. He hadn't seen any man with them, just a tall woman with blonde hair.

"F-father? What fa-" He started asking before he took a sharp intake of breath. He tried to shriek but the air was caught in his throat. His entire body seized as intense pain like nothing he'd ever felt raced throughout him from the base of his skull, where the pain was originating. When he finally passed out, Kari smiled as their papa appeared from behind the man who'd fallen.

Cara stared at the unconscious man at her feet for a moment, before stepping over him, her agiel now hanging from the chain around her wrist. Kahlan had once expressed her concern that it was too dangerous for her to continue carrying them after the girls were born. She'd asked her to carry a sword or daggers instead. Cara had refused, saying that she didn't like swords and teased that daggers were too messy.

Kahlan had pointed out that agiels could get good and messy as well and she worried that their children would find that out the hard way. Cara had gotten dead serious then and swore upon her life that she would NEVER let their daughters experience the touch of an agiel, hers or anyone else's. She'd never broken that oath and she intended to keep it that way.

"Are you alright?" She asked gently as she knelt before her daughters and their companion.

They nodded before Dahlia looked at the man and asked,

"Is he the reason you went to get water when we didn't need any, father?"

The corner of Cara's lips quirked upwards. It never failed to make her proud of how very perceptive her young daughters were.

"Yes. I thought it best to meet him on our terms rather than his own." She said. She glanced at him again before coming to a decision.

"What do you think should be done with him?" She asked, turning back to the girls.

"What do you mean pa pa?" Kari asked.

"You two were the ones he attempted to rob so you two should be the ones to decide what happens to him." Cara replied seriously as she looked at her daughters.

"How do we do that?" Dahlia asked, her eyes on the unconscious stranger.

"Well," Cara started, following her gaze. "First you need to decide if he's truly guilty of a crime and if so, choose a fitting punishment."

At that Kari also looked at the man. After a quiet moment, Dahlia spoke.

"He was desperate."

"What makes you say that?" Cara asked.

"Well at first I thought he was just foolish but when Kara proved we weren't defenseless, he still chose to stay when he should've run. Besides that, his clothes are nothing but rags and he's walking around without shoes. He has nothing and felt this was his only option."

"That could all just be an act to gain your sympathy. Make you more compliant." Cara said.

Dahlia looked at her and asked curiously,

"How can I tell if that's what he was doing?"

"You could confess him." Cara replied nonchalantly. She watched as Dahlia thought about it.

"No." She said finally and firmly. She turned back to the man. "I don't think he deserves to be confessed."

Cara's lips quirked slightly again even though her expressing stayed serious. She listened as Dahlia continued to speak.

"I don't think he was happy with what he was doing. He waited all day for you to leave us alone. I think that was because he didn't want too much trouble or to have to hurt you, even if he didn't know that would be impossible for him or who you were."

Cara arched an eyebrow.

"How did you know he'd been waiting all day?" She asked.

"He followed us." Kari answered, speaking for the first time since the conversation started. Her eyes stayed on the man though. Dahlia looked at her briefly before nodding in agreement.

"He followed us from Aydindril. I didn't think much of it since you didn't mention it and forgot all about it until now." She said.

"What does him following us mean?" Cara asked quizzically.

"It means he doesn't know his way in these woods. If he did, he could've set a trap for us at any point after we left Aydindril." Dahlia replied.

Cara nodded absently at her answer, impressed that both girls had noticed the stranger following them all day. She was proud that they were able to be aware of their surroundings even when focused on something else.

"Whatever situation he's in forced him to follow and attempt to rob us in an act of desperation. Does that make him innocent?" She asked.

Kari frowned and Dahlia shook her head.

"No. What he did was wrong. We could've easily been a different innocent family whose possessions he was trying to take. And he threatened us which means he could hurt people, even if he might not want to."

"So what should his punishment be? Kari?" Cara asked as she watched her youngest daughter continue to contemplate the man.

"Leave him here." Kari answered after a moment of silence.

Cara couldn't help blinking in surprise.

"Why?" She asked curiously.

"It will be dark soon and there will be dangerous creatures. Some as dangerous as Kara and some not dangerous at all. If he doesn't make it back to Aydindril, then he will have paid for his crimes. If he does make it back, then he will have earned his freedom. Let him decide if he should be punished." She said, adding the last part quietly.

"What if he returns and continues his crimes?" Cara asked gently.

"We could tell all the guards to keep an eye out for him. If he returns and continues hurting people, he'll be arrested and brought before mother to be judged." Dahlia said.

"And you too Dahlia." Kari said, finally turning away from the man to smile at her sister who retuned the smile happily.

Cara gave a small smile of her own. It wasn't the way she herself would've handle the situation but she was no less proud of her daughters' decisions.

"Well, if we're all in agreement, we should start heading back. It's getting late and I promised to have you back before dinner." she said as she grabbed her pack and rose to her feet. She safely tucked her agiel into the bag and shouldered it before offering her hands to both girls.

"C'mon Kara." Kari called as she took her pa pa's hand before they all disappeared into the woods together.

* * *

"Richard?" Zedd said.

"Yeah Zedd?" Richard answered.

After discussing the crest, they'd spent most of the night talking and laughing about old times. Times before Richard knew anything about magic or the Midlands and his only concern had been guiding people through the Hartland woods. However, during that whole time, there'd been a question weighing on Zedd's mind so he decided to take this time to ask it.

"Why did Cara become Lord Rahl?"

Richard thought for a moment.

"After Darken Rahl fell, D'Hara slowly started falling apart. And after the Keeper was defeated, there was nothing left to distract the strong from preying on the weak, as well as each other. D'Hara began tearing itself apart without an undisputed leader. It needed a Lord Rahl."

"So why not you? You are or _were_ the new Lord Rahl."

"Zedd, I couldn't rule D'Hara." Richard replied easily.

"And why not?"

Richard shrugged as he sipped from his mug.

"I wasn't fit. When I first refused, it was because I didn't think it was right to kill for the throne. But it wasn't until Cara began ruling that I realized that I knew nothing about D'Hara. I didn't know it's customs, it's beliefs. I didn't know it's people. I didn't even know that D'Harans were literally bonded to the House of Rahl until I felt it for myself."

"You can feel the bond?" Zedd interrupted, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

Richard nodded before continuing.

"But even if I'd ignored all of those reasons, I still couldn't be the Lord Rahl. Not after I was confessed. D'Hara would've accused Mistress of using me as a puppet to rule over them and a war would've started.

"But Cara, she was born and raised in D'Hara and a pure blooded D'haran at that. And once it got out that she was Mistress' chosen mate, no one would believe that she was confessed since confession meant death for a mord'sith. So if Cara were the Lord Rahl, she and Mistress could unite D'Hara and the Midlands in peace. Everyone agreed that she was the best choice. Everyone except Cara."

"Cara didn't want to be Lord Rahl?" Zedd asked curiously.

"No, not really. Especially after the way her Mord'Sith sisters had turned on her. She didn't believe the people of D'Hara would accept her as their lord and master anymore than they had me. Even _less_ so. Beside that, she said that she was Mord'Sith and that her duty was to serve the Lord Rahl, whomever that might be. But when mistresses Berdine and Raina, and the Mord'Sith of the western and northern temples asked her to do it for the sake of D'Hara and all pledged to faithfully follow Cara as their lord and master, she agreed."

"I see." Zedd said, nodding his head slowly. "And just _how_ did Cara become the Lord Rahl?" He asked.

"_That_ was a bit more difficult to do. It took you and Sister Nicci over five months of searching the Wizard's Keep-"

"_Nicci_ was in the Wizard's Keep?" Zedd asked in alarm, momentarily forgetting that she was confessed.

"Yeah." Richard answered, uncertain as to why Zedd was so surprised. "Since she had Additive and Subtractive magic, she was able to get to parts of the Keep that you couldn't."

"Ah yes, I had forgotten that Nicci had both types of magic. It makes sense that she would be searching the Keep as well." Zedd said, hoping that Richard would accept that reason for his reaction.

Richard nodded.

"Even after finding a way to make Cara Lord Rahl, it still took you and Nicci four extra months before you felt ready to perform the exchange." He said.

"How did we do it?"

"Well first we had to travel to the People's Palace to use the Garden of Life. After that things got kind of surreal."

"How so?" Zedd asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"First thing that day Nicci had instructed that we both wear Rahl vests and black pants but no shoes. Then around noon when we finally went to the garden, at the door you told Mistress that only you, Nicci, Cara, and I could be inside. When you explained that it was for everyone's safety, Mistress accepted and the four of us entered. You and Nicci instructed that from then on we had to do _exactly_ as you said or Cara and I could lose our souls. When we agreed, you and Nicci performed an incantation at the same time. Words like nothing I'd ever heard before. I know I don't know much about magic but I just _knew_ that the magic you were using wasn't anything you'd ever done before.

"After the incantation was finished, with both your eyes closed you and Nicci began to draw in the white wizard's sand, never once getting in each other's way. When you were done, in the sand was a huge rendition of the Grace, a _perfect_ Grace, all the lines straight and even.

"Then you grabbed two bowls off the alter and Nicci came to stand before me, her bowl filled with what looked like black paint and you went before Cara with white paint. And when you both opened you eyes, yours were pure white and Nicci's were pitch black. You ordered Cara and I to remove our vests and after we had, you and Nicci proceeded to draw the Grace on the center of our chests and on the palms of our hands with the substance that was in your bowls. You and Nicci also put it on your own palms."

"How did you know it wasn't paint?" Zedd asked, watching Richard intently. He had no idea what type of magic he and Nicci had been using but from what Richard was telling him, it was extremely powerful and that much more dangerous.

"Well, when it first touched my skin, it tingled and my skin seemed to hum. Then it began to feel as if it was gripping onto me with hundreds of tiny talons and my skin felt as if it were crawling or more like the paint was crawling into my skin, sinking and expanding beneath the surface. It was a little disconcerting. And I could tell Cara was experiencing the same thing because I could see the wariness in her eyes.

"After using the 'paint', you both lead us to the sand and had us sit on our knees facing each other in the center of the Grace. Nicci instructed us to place our palms against each others and not to move them, under _any_ circumstance, until we were told to. Then you sat cross-legged behind Cara and pressed your hands against her back and Nicci did the same to me.

"As the sun set, you and Nicci began chanting more strange words, but not the same ones and when the moonlight hit me and Cara, something happened. I'm not sure how to explain it." Richard said.

"Try." Zedd coaxed gently.

Richards eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"It…It was like, as soon as the moon touched us, our souls sprouted from the center of the Graces on our chest and, I don't know, collided against a barrier where our hands met. I say sprouted because when I looked at Cara's chest, it looked like her soul was growing our of her chest, like a tree, roots reaching under her skin in each direction of the Grace's star points. When I looked at my chest, it was the same, only my soul was tinted black while Cara's was white."

Zedd had to forcefully blink, certain that his eyes were as large as saucers and he didn't want to alert Richard. He cleared his throat.

"What happened next?" He asked carefully.

"You and Nicci chanted continuously, Nicci's voice loud and yours nothing but a murmur."

"How long did this go on?"

"For three nights." Richard answered.

"Three nights?" Zedd asked in surprise. "Bags boy, are you sure?"

"Yes. On the second night, something changed." Richard said.

"What?" Zedd asked, anxious to know what else had happened.

"As the moon rose on the second night, I felt something strange and when the moon hit us, something else came from my chest, curving it's way over my sour and touched the barrier blocking Cara's soul from mine. It was translucent with a red tinge and moved like it was alive. Nicci later explained it as the very essence of the House of Rahl.

"Your chanting got louder then and Nicci's began to get lower. As that happened, the essence of Rahl reached through the barrier and began curving it's way over Cara's soul. We stayed connected like that for the rest of the night and all through the next day. At the end of the day, the end of essence pulled from my chest, across my soul and through the barrier. I'd been exhausted by then but I didn't really feel it until that moment. My hands began trembling and Nicci warned me not to move them. It took all I had to hold my hands up, but my eyes met Cara's and I found the strength because I knew that our lives were held in the balance. Finally the essence coiled it's way over Cara's soul and into her chest. I could tell she was feeling the exhaustion too but she stayed strong. We stayed strong together.

"After that, you and Nicci got up from our backs and stood on either side of us, forming a circle. You both guided mine and Cara's hands away form each other, causing the barrier to split in two and contain our souls separately. You led our hands to cross over our chests and each picked up one grain of white sand.

"As the moon touched us, you and Nicci simultaneously dropped your grain into the center of the Graces on our chests. There was this flash of white light that seemed to fill the entire garden and a concussion within me that reverberated through out my whole my body. I couldn't hear anything and as I fell to the sand, the last thing I remember is seeing Cara fall as well and feeling this indescribable connection to her. Then my world went dark.

"From what I'm told, Cara and I were unconscious for about a week. Even you and Nicci slept for a couple of days. You lost your voice and had to walk with a staff and Nicci was deathly pale for days after. You told me that Mistress was so furious when she couldn't wake Cara after the forth day, that she almost tried to confess you and Nicci a second time. Especially after she commanded you both to tell her what you'd done in the garden."

"I can only imagine." Zedd murmured as he conjured the mental image of telling Kahlan that they'd take her chosen mate, exposed her soul, and added something to it that wasn't there before. A process Zedd was _certain_ could still end in death, no matter how perfectly the magic had been performed. Such was the Powerful Magic he and Nicci had been dabbling in. He was surprised to hear Kahlan hadn't gone into the Con Dar after being told that. Something about that thought caused a nagging suspicion that he was forgetting something, in the back of his mind.

Richard nodded.

"Eventually Cara and I did wake up and I realized the connection I was feeling to Cara was the bond."

"How do you know?" Zedd asked curiously.

"Because it led me right to her even though we were in different parts of the palace, a place I'd never been before. I found her and Mistress standing beside a large fountain with fish swimming in it, their backs to me. Other people were there, including some of the mord'sith and Dragon Core, and more people kept coming.

"I remember her turning around to reveal that she was wearing black pants, and a low collared red vest, the traditional Rahl coat resting on her shoulders. When she looked at us, we all fell to our knees, some people pressing their foreheads to the ground, and pledged our devotion to her. It felt like the most natural thing for me."

"Did the transition change Cara?"

"Not at all. She accepted the devotion quietly but I could tell she was a little uncomfortable with the whole thing. It took her some time to get used to being the Lord Rahl." Richard replied with a fond smile. Zedd could see that the special bond Cara and Richard had formed on their own in _his_ reality had found a way to form in this reality as well, perhaps even stronger after their experience together.

"Was she accepted completely as the new master of D'Hara?"

"No. Naturally there were a few protests, mostly by those who wanted the title for themselves. But between support from the Midlands and enforcement form the mord'sith and Dragon Core, things soon calmed down. Cara has since proven that she is a good leader. The people of D'Hara praise their Lord Rahl out of joy now, instead of fear, and so do the people of the Midlands, now that the two are united."

Zedd nodded. Yes, he had seen so with his own eyes that very morning. All of Aydindril had greeted Cara and her daughter with cheers of joy and excitement. They were happy to devote themselves to the young Rahl. Everything else he'd seen that morning also made sense now.

Even so, Zedd still felt he was missing something and it had to do with Kahlan. Then it dawned on him. He'd only seen _one _Kahlan since arriving in this reality, when there should've been _two_.

"Richard, where's Kahlan? Not our mistress but the other one." He asked, looking around the tavern, as if mentioning her would cause her to magically appear.

Richard blinked as he stared at Zedd.

"She died, almost nine years ago." He answered easily.

"Oh Richard, I'm so sorry." Zedd replied sympathetically.

"Why? I'm not and neither was she." Richard said, uncertain as to why Zedd would be sad.

Zedd was shocked at Richard's response.

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"Because of her death, our mistress is able to be truly happy now. I could never be sorry for that." Richard answered seriously.

Zedd stared at Richard, completely speechless.

"Listen Zedd, it's pretty late and I have a few things I need to do early in the morning so I'm going to go, okay?" Richard said as he got up from his seat.

"Oh, yes, alright then. I'll see you tomorrow." Zedd said distractedly, lost in his thoughts.

"Sure thing Zedd." Richard said with an amused smile.

Just as Richard was halfway to the door, a thought occurred to Zedd.

"Richard." He called.

"Yeah Zedd?" Richard answered as he turned back to the table.

"Where do I sleep?"

Richard grinned.

"Wherever you want. At an inn, at the palace, or at the Keep. Just don't fall asleep here again because Declan will have to come get you and you already know what his temperament can be like." He called.

"Oh yes, I remember." Zedd grumbled, absently rubbing his shoulder.

Richard chuckled.

"Goodnight Zedd."

"Goodnight my boy." He replied as Richard left the tavern. He thought about what Richard had said. It hadn't occurred to him that he was more or less free to do as he pleased. In this reality he was confessed, so Kahlan or anyone else had no reason to worry about what he did since he would never act contrary to his mistress. But that was then and _he_ was not that Zedd, nor could he afford to become him.

Zedd stood, finally deciding what he was going to do about his predicament. First, he needed to visit the Keep. There he could research the spell of undoing and _hopefully _find a way back to his _own_ reality.

* * *

Cara quietly walked into Dahlia and Kari's bed chambers, well aware that Kara would be sleeping near the door. As if on cue, a low growling could be heard from the darkness on Cara's right. She lowered her hand without a second thought, smiling as Kara's muzzle bumped her hand and a hot, gummy tongue licked her palm.

Once she was certain Kara was satisfied, she descended the steps that led further into the room. It was fashioned much like her and Kahlan's chambers, with a an outer sitting room and then this room that held two full beds and two large balconies facing the palace gardens that allowed ample light and fresh air when the doors and curtains were open. Tonight the doors were closed and the curtains only open enough to allow a little moonlight. It was enough for Cara to see though. She walked until she was standing between the foot of each bed, watching as her children slept peacefully. She couldn't help wanting to see them after that day.

She and Kahlan often encouraged them to make decisions based on their own instincts rather than following their parents' lead. They didn't want Dahlia and Kari to be leaders like them but to become better leaders of their own, and if today was any indication, the future of the Midlands and D'Hara were in good hands. She had long since noticed that both girls had different strengths that would play big parts in their future roles.

Dahlia was an excellent tactician, being able to not only develop complex strategies at such a young age but she was also able to use her strategies to usher an outcome in her favor. She took to chess like a fish to water, teaching Cara a thing or two from time to time.

Kari on the other hand had the uncanny ability of understanding a person's true character without having to use her powers on them. People were as open books to her, no matter how closed off they were on the outside. Earlier that evening had been a prime example of that. Cara knew exactly what Kari meant when she said to let that man decide if he deserved to be punished.

The world was a hard place. Eat or be eaten. Even in a place like Aydindril, where things were good, there were still strong who prayed on the weak, even if it was within the confines of the law. It couldn't be helped. It was up to the weak to decide if they would stay helpless. Even Kari understood this. That man, for whatever reason, decided that he wouldn't be weak anymore. But he went about it the wrong way and ended up even more helpless than he had been before, at the mercy of Cara and her agiel.

Rather than punish him for it, whatever Kari saw in him for the brief time she encountered him, made her decide to give him another chance at life. He had three choices. He could somehow make it back to Aydindril and continue preying on others, to which he would inevitably be punished for, either by the laws of man or the laws of nature. He could stay in the forest, simply giving up and wait to die. _Or_ he could learn how to survive the right way, on no one's strength but his own, in the end living better for it. Cara idly wondered which path he would choose.

Kara's low growl sounded in the room again causing Cara to tilt her head but she wasn't worried. Especially after the growling turned into a gruff purr. Cara smiled. There was only one person who could make the heart hound do that. The same person could make Cara purr on occasion as well. She continued to watch the girls, even as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist.

"I thought I'd find you here." Kahlan whispered, leaning her chin on Cara's shoulder as she pressed against her back.

Cara sighed at the contact, relaxing into the embrace and placing one of her hands on both of Kahlan's.

"They told me what happened today." Kahlan said, pausing a moment before continuing. "Not the way _I_ would've handled things, but I'm proud of _all_ of you none the less."

Cara's smile matched Kahlan's. They stayed silent for a moment, watching as their daughters slept before Kahlan began speaking again.

"I know we haven't really talked about it, but I was thinking maybe we should have another." She whispered, uncertain as to what Cara's reaction would be.

Cara turned in her arms so that she could see her better, her expression unreadable.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Yeah. If you want." Kahlan answered, a hopeful smile creeping upon her lips.

Cara moved her head in swiftly and brought their lips together in a soft, sweet kiss. She moved her hand to cup Kahlan's cheek. After a moment she pulled away slowly and leaned her head against Kahlan's. She waited for Kahlan's eyes to open and meet hers. When they did she said,

"I want."

Her smile was filled with nothing but pure love and joy and Kahlan couldn't help being affected by it, making her knees weak and spreading warmth through out her entire body. She brought their lips close until they were barely touching.

"Come to bed and we'll talk about it some more." She whispered and smiled when Cara nodded. She began walking away before turning back in time to see Cara lean down to kiss Dahlia's forehead and then moving to do the same with Kari. The sight filled her heart until it was overflowing with love, almost causing her to miss Cara's whispered words to them.

"May the good spirits always watch over you and grant you sweet dreams."

TBC


	3. Chapter 2

Title: Unbroken  
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker/Sword of Truth series  
Pairing: Cara/Kahlan  
Chapter Rating: NC-17  
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of the Seeker or the Sword of Truth series in any way, shape, or form. They belong to ABC Disney and Terry Goodkind. This is strickly for creative purposes and not for profit.  
Warnings: Cara/Kahlan sexytimes, and cute times and all around fluff and some extra stuff for taste  
Summary: Zedd performs the spell of undoing on Dahlia and finds himself in a situation very different than he expected.  
Spoilers: Uhhhmm, nope, can't think of any  
A/N: Sorry it took such a long time but here it is, chapter 2 of Unbroken. I also want to point out that if you haven't read the prequel aka Torn or the prologue yet, you definately, DEFINATELY should. Happy reading, ^_^

A/N2: I keep forgetting to do this but I want to thank my best friends Cab and Julia for their help and betaing this. I also want to thank all of you for sticking with me and reviewing, it's really encouraging to get such positive feedback and I'll really try to make more timely updates. Off you go now, enjoy the fic, :)

Chapter 2

Even though Zedd had planned to meet with Richard the next day, he wasn't able to see his grandson again until two days later. During that time, Zedd kept a low profile, spending all his time in the Wizard's Keep and away from anyone who could figure out that something was different about him. He'd managed to find information on the spell of undoing but nothing that could help the predicament he found himself in.

Now he stood before Kahlan, having been specifically summoned for an important announcement. Nicci was also there, standing beside him, and so was Richard who stood by Kahlan's side where she sat in the First chair. They spoke briefly about the events in Nicobarese and about keeping an eye on them for further outbreaks of the Fold. All of which Zedd listened to but kept quiet about, his eyes averted from Kahlan. When Kahlan glanced at him, he dropped his gaze to the polished floor before her feet.

"Lastly," she began. "Cara and I have decided to celebrate the solstice."

"Mistress, that's great news." Richard said happily, a note of surprise in his voice.

"I agree mistress, that's wonderful to hear." Nicci replied, her joy sounding more subdued.

"Thank you both. I do apologized for such short notice. Cara and I were just so busy lately that we didn't have a chance to talk about it until recently."

"There's nothing to apologize for mistress, Zedd and I shall begin the preparations at once." Nicci said calmly.

"And Declan and I will make arrangements to leave for D'Hara as soon as possible." Richard responded confidently, eager to please his mistress.

"No." Kahlan said easily. "We're going to have the solstice here in Aydindril and when the time comes, we will have a gift to present to D'Hara."

Zedd's mind was reeling. Something important was going on that he was a major part of yet he had no idea what it could be. He would be expected to perform some kind of act he knew nothing about. Something he'd obviously done before and he would be expected to do it soon if the current conversation was any indication. There was no way he could keep up his charade any longer. As if sensing his thoughts, he heard Kahlan address him.

"Zedd? You've barely spoken a word. Are you not pleased?" She asked.

Zedd's eyes widened in alarm. He dared not disagree with any decision Kahlan made. Instead, he followed Richard and Nicci's example.

"Of course not Mistress. I'm over_joyed_ by this latest development. I was simply making a mental checklist of all the things that need to be done." He responded, risking a glance to see if she believed him. _Hoping_ that she did.

He almost sighed with relief when he saw that Kahlan's attention wasn't on him but focused intently on something behind him. Her eyes flicked to him briefly.

"Very well, I'll leave you to your duties." She said, her attention returning to whatever was behind them. Nicci bowed and Zedd followed her example before they turned to leave. It was then that Zedd saw what or _who_ had Kahlan's full attention.

Cara was standing at the back of the room. She was wearing a fitted blood red tunic, not unlike her leathers, tight dark trousers and leather boots. Her gaze was focused solely on Kahlan. Zedd noticed that she was holding something in her arms as she started towards them. When she got closer, Zedd realized she was holding Kahlan's maroon traveling clothes.

"Richard, would you please pick up Dahlia and Kari from their lessons today." She said, her eyes never wavering from Kahlan's.

"Yes Lord Rahl." Richard said with a slight smile before joining Zedd and Nicci as they left the room. Just before the door closed, Zedd heard Cara ask,

"Want to go for a ride?"

Outside the council chambers, Richard turned in a different direction than Nicci, and Zedd followed him.

"Hey Zedd, how's your memory?" Richard asked as he walked up beside him.

"Nearly all there I think." Zedd responded with a reassuring smile but Richard only frowned. He wasn't sure if Zedd getting his memories back so slowly was a good or bad thing. Zedd noticed the frown and tried changing tactics. He hadn't missed the searing gazes passing between Cara and Kahlan or the husk in Cara's voice when she spoke. It made him curious.

"Does that happen often?" He asked.

"Does what happen often?" Richard asked, still distracted by his thoughts.

"Mistress and Cara…" He said, leaving the end open for Richard to latch onto.

"Oh, that." Richard said with a chuckle. "Yeah, it happens often. Sometimes they don't leave the palace. There have even been a few instances when I accidentally caught them together." He finished, a blush creeping into his face.

"So does that mean Cara is no longer a mord'sith? She couldn't be since being with Kahlan that way would mean death for her, right?"

Richard's brow furrowed as he thought about it.

"I'm not sure." He said. "After Cara became the Lord Rahl, she stopped wearing her mord'sith leathers but she can still use her agiels. Then again, so can I. And she's never had reason to use her other mord'sith powers. But she's been with Mistress for ten years. They've had two daughters and plan to have another so I guess she _isn't_ a mord'sith any longer." Richard concluded, but Zedd's attention was grabbed by something else he had said.

"How do you know they plan to have another child?" He asked.

Richard gave him an unsure smile, not certain if Zedd was joking or not. When Zedd continued to stare at him intently, he said carefully,

"I know because Mistress just told us so."

Zedd's eyes slowly widened as he considered what Richard had just told him.

"The solstice? The solstice is some way to get Cara and Ka-Mistress to conceive?" He asked in shock, just barely managing to catch his slip.

"Yeah." Richard replied, slightly amused and a little confused at Zedd's response. "What did you think it was?"

Zedd didn't know what to say. Just as he thought he couldn't be in any more trouble, he finds out that he's expected to perform a miracle. This reality obviously wasn't going to make it easy for him to get home.

* * *

Cara stood stock still, taking in her surroundings, her senses heightened. She could smell the fresh pine needles, newly fallen in perpetrating for the coming autumn. She could hear the small waterfall cascading into the lake just far away enough to be heard but not seen. And she could see the multiple tracks her prey made in an half-hearted attempt to confuse her. Her prey was becoming more and more unfocused and soon Cara would have her.

After Kahlan had changed her clothes, Cara unabashedly watching every second of it, and Kahlan in turn keeping her eyes on Cara, they'd taken their mounts and rode out of Aydindril, their destination anywhere and nowhere at all. They'd been riding along peacefully for about an hour when Kahlan had suddenly started her all white gelding into a fast gallop. Cara had only hesitated a moment before following at high speed.

Kahlan had led them through a meadow and along the forest line before abruptly turning onto a game trail leading through the dense trees. Cara had lost sight of her once they'd entered the forest and had slowed her pace until she spotted Kahlan's horse just off the path. Kahlan was nowhere to be found.

Cara had dismounted then, leaving the horses to find water on their own and started tracking Kahlan through the forest. Once she'd found her, Kahlan had congratulated her and kissed her cheek by way of reward before running off again. Cara had smiled and the game had begun.

What had started out as innocent had quickly evolved into something more carnal. Every time Cara caught Kahlan, their kisses got a little deeper, their touches a little bolder. Their embraces a little tighter. It wasn't long before Cara started removing Kahlan's clothing along the way. She'd already taken off Kahlan's elaborate belt and jacket with the lacing along the arms and the last time she'd caught her, she'd pushed her to the ground, covering her body with her own. Their mouths had met hotly as Cara had reached beneath her skirt and taken off Kahlan's undergarment, her fingers slipping and sliding through Kahlan's copious wetness. Kahlan had gasped sharply, biting Cara's bottom lip hard enough to make her growl before pushing her away and running off again. Cara had stayed where she was for a moment longer than usual then, just breathing through her exquisitely, all consuming arousal as she licked her fingers clean.

Now she stood trying to decipher Kahlan's muddled tracks, her brain saturated with the confessor. She smelt her scent every time she breathed in, Kahlan's heady taste heavy on her tongue. She was no longer sure who was the cat and who was the mouse in their little game. All she was certain of was that the next time she caught Kahlan would be the last.

Once she was certain of which way to go, she slowly tracked her quarry through the woods. It had barely been five minutes when she heard a twig snap. She turned in time to catch a blur of movement through the trees. A flash of leg, a glimpse of long flowing hair and Cara was moving swiftly in the same direction. She ran easily, her long legs slowly eating up the distance between her and Kahlan. She kept to the edge of the confessor's peripheral, making sure that she knew that Cara was closing in on her.

Kahlan bobbed and weaved as she ran and Cara stayed with her, their movements almost synchronized. Cara was almost upon her when a large pine tree came into view. With no time to avoid it, Kahlan ran to it, pressing gently against the bark. A split second later, Cara was pressed against her back, her arms on either side of her, closing her in. Keeping her.

Kahlan turned around, their lips colliding before her back was fully pressed to the tree. Kahlan tried to gain control, her hands moving quickly down Cara's back to tightly grip her rear but Cara kept her at bay, pressing their bodies tightly together as her tongue plundered her mouth. She took her hands and moved them until they were pinned high above their heads, drawing Kahlan even tighter against her. Kahlan slid her leg up along Cara's and onto her hip, making herself more open to her. Cara accepted the invitation eagerly, moving one of her hands between Kahlan's legs and sliding her fingers through the arousal that now coated her thighs.

Kahlan groaned, her sensitive body shuddering at the light touch. She pulled out of the kiss but kept their lips together.

"I'm so close, please touch me. Make me come." She panted into Cara's mouth.

Cara cupped between her legs tightly before pulling her hand away to drag her nails along the inside of her thigh. Kahlan moaned helplessly, her head falling back against the tree as her hips bucked involuntarily.

"Cara, don't tease me." Kahlan almost whimpered.

"You've played your game and now I'll play mine." She breathed as she moved her mouth over Kahlan's cheek, her teeth nipping at her jaw. The hand holding her wrists to the tree tightened as Kahlan began to struggle. Her nips moved along Kahlan's jaw and down her neck while her other hand stroked down her thigh to grip her knee. Cara shifted until her thigh was between Kahlan's legs and began to pull Kahlan to her, her thigh slowly stroking as more and more pressure was applied to Kahlan's center.

Kahlan's body writhed in sweet agony as Cara slowly drove her insane. Every time her hips tried to find a rhythm against her thigh, Cara would ease the pressure or take it away completely. Kahlan was so frustrated at being denied her release, she was unsure whether she was angry or upset. With a lucky twist of her wrist, her right hand was free and she immediately wrapped it around Cara's throat. Cara pulled back to meet her eyes.

"_Don't_ tease me." She ordered but she wasn't able to completely conceal the pleading in her voice. Her eyes were dark, belying just how close she was to her orgasm. Cara released the hand above their heads to grasp the one at her throat.

"If you're gong to confess me, " She said casually, moving Kahlan's hand from her throat and placing it on her breast, directly over her heart. "Do it here, where it will do the most damage." She finished in a whisper. She leaned in to kiss Kahlan as she moved the hand holding her leg, back to where her mate needed her most. Kahlan buried her free hand in Cara's hair, crushing their mouths together while Cara's hand slipped under her skirt. They kissed fiercely, Cara's hand gripping the one pressed over her heart while her fingers slid home within Kahlan.

Kahlan's gasp came out a moan as she pushed her tongue into Cara's mouth. Cara took her in hungrily, her fingers finding a quick steady rhythm. Her thumb found Kahlan's throbbing clit, rubbing it in small tight circles that caused Kahlan to mewl. Cara had never learned how to control herself once she began touching the confessor. Holding her, tasting and hearing her, being inside her for the first time as she became frantic for release. All those things only served to drive Cara wild, _urging_ her to take Kahlan hard and fast. To make her world crumble and shake apart so that Cara could put her back together with lingering kisses and gentle caresses.

She added another finger on her next thrust and Kahlan's hand in her hair tightened painfully, signaling to Cara that she was right on the edge. A few more thrusts and Kahlan would erupt in a cascade of ecstasy, right into Cara's hands. Kahlan's inner walls convulsed rapidly and Cara pulled out of the kiss just in time to catch Kahlan's eyes as they swirled black and then there was thunder without sound.

Cara instantly felt the moment Kahlan released her magic. She didn't know how it felt for others Kahlan used her powers on but for her, it was euphoria. It was as if Cara's body was breathing in Kahlan's essence. Breathing her power, her glory, her _love_, precisely as her body breathed it out.

One breath, one life.

Kahlan flowed into her at all points of contact between them but Cara solely focused on where Kahlan's hand rested above her heart. It swirled swiftly, filling her heart, then her chest, then her whole torso. It connected at her arms and neck before pushing into her legs and head, filling her completely. And for one brief absolute moment, Kahlan was inside her, reaching into every inch of her. Every crevice, every dark place, and lit them aflame with her love.

Cara had never felt anything like it, as if her body was cleansed by Kahlan's in a whorl of fire and light. On occasion it had even been powerful enough to make Cara climax without Kahlan ever touching her. It was intoxicating and she had to be _very_ careful not to become addicted to the sensation. Between that and her natural passion for Kahlan, they would never leave their bed chambers.

Kahlan made a keening sound low in her throat and Cara kissed it softly, pulling her close. And as quickly as Kahlan's magic had entered Cara, it left, flowing out of her very pores as she released the breath she had been holding. The one she always held in those brief blissful moments.

Kahlan sighed, her body shuddering pleasantly as Cara's lips slowly caressed her throat and the sensitive spot behind her jaw. She loved how affectionate Cara got after their love making and often wondered if Cara was even aware of it. She moaned softly as Cara's teeth gently bit into her earlobe, her hands moving up Kahlan's back to begin untying the laces of her corset. Once it was gone, leaving her in only her skirt and boots, she reached for Cara's tunic, pulling it from her trousers. But before she could take it off, Cara stilled her hands.

Kahlan frowned at this and Cara kissed her softly. When she pulled back, Kahlan's frown had gentled but hadn't completely disappeared.

"Not yet." Cara whispered, slowly kissing her way down Kahlan's body. She graced each of her nipples with a butterfly kiss. "I want to make you come again, this time much slower." She said, her tone a low rumble that made Kahlan's entire body clench in anticipation. Her lidded eyes glazed with renewed desire and her frown melted away, turning into a faint smile as Cara pressed a lingering kiss to the lower portion of her abdomen, where their next child would soon live and grow. She slid her hand deep into her blonde locks and Cara leaned into the caress as she moved to her knees, Kahlan's leg slipping onto her shoulder.

"Once we've finished here, we'll go down to the water and you can have me any way you want." Cara finished, her green eyes, darkened by lust, boring into Kahlan's. That look stoked the low fire in Kahlan's stomach into an inferno and her hand reflexively tightened in Cara's hair as she pulled her closer.

"Well, let's not waste time then." She said, her voice thick with desire.

"Yes mistress." Cara breathed.

* * *

"How is any of this possible?" Zedd asked after he finally got over his shock.

"What do you mean?" Richard asked, confused by Zedd's vague question.

"I've seen the way Mistress looks at Cara. It's the same way she used to look at you. She truly loves her." Zedd said, almost awed by the thought.

"Yes, she does." Richard responded, his lips twisting into a confused smile, not sure where Zedd was going with his statement.

"But _how_? Mistress shouldn't be able to love _anyone_ after she was separated from her emotions. Nor should she be able to conceive. How is it possible that she can do both?"

"Oh." Richard said, finally understanding what Zedd was talking about. "Most of that was possible because of the other Kahlan." His tone was soft. Even though he loved his mistress completely, the thought of the other Kahlan's death still caused a pang of sorrow in his chest. He wasn't sure if it was simply because she was a part of his mistress that she had to lose or if it was because he might have some residual feelings for the Kahlan he loved before she was split in two.

"What happened Richard?" Zedd coaxed gently, noticing the play of emotions that crossed his grandson's face.

Richard blinked, coming out of his somber thoughts at the sound of Zedd's voice. He gave a small smile. He was happy to tell the story despite some of the sadder parts.

"Well, not long after Cara became the Lord Rahl, she fell in love with Mistress." He began.

"How do you know that? Lord Rahl or not, I find it hard to believe that Cara would pick flowers to present to Mistress or outwardly confess her love. Not in front of others anyway." Zedd said.

Richard chuckled.

"No, she didn't do any of those things. Actually it was Mistress who told me. She said that Cara was beginning to show signs of having deep feelings for her and that she wasn't sure what to do about it. She said that those things weren't important to her any longer but that Cara was her mate and that she wanted to give her some measure of joy even though she knew Cara would never say anything about it.

"At that time, Mistress was also having trouble conceiving even though she had been trying with prince Fyren ever since we sealed the rift. I could tell that both situations were beginning to displease her and suggested that perhaps she could express her concerns to you and Nicci since all was well in D'Hara and the Midlands. Mistress agreed and the next morning Mistress, Cara, the other Kahlan, you, Nicci, and myself met in the council chambers.

"When Mistress asked, you explained that she and the other Kahlan were just magical fragments and that neither could conceive as they were. When Mistress asked if there was any way for her to continue the confessor line without rejoining with her other self, it was Kahlan who surprised everyone by answering.

"_Is there a way for Mistress to get the fragments she needs from me without fully combining us?" Kahlan asked eagerly, surprising everyone and bringing five pairs of eyes to focus on her. She seemed to be on the verge of tears which wasn't surprising given the disappointing news her mistress had just received._

_Zedd glanced at their mistress, who was watching her other self intently, before turning to address Kahlan's question._

"_Well yes, in theory it could work. Think of yourself and Mistress as towers of children's building blocks that are just barely stable." His eyes flicked to the more powerful of the two before continuing. "If I were to take 'blocks' from one tower to give to the other, while one would become more sturdy, the other would be less able to support itself…and would eventually crumble." He finished, his final words hanging in the air for all present to absorb. Again it was Kahlan who was the first to speak._

"_Could you do it Zedd, take what Mistress needs from me and give it to her?" Her voice was hopeful, her eyes pleading. Zedd hesitated for a moment before answering._

"_Yes, with Nicci's help the magic should be easy enough to perform. But…there is a great chance that you won't survive." He explained softly, wanting Kahlan to understand what she was asking._

"_I know. I don't mind dying as long as it's for Mistress."_

_The Mother Confessor tensed at this. She'd been sure to stay quiet during the conversation, not wanting to influence her more emotional half, for _or_ against the idea of sacrificing herself. But now that Kahlan had said it out loud, the confessor was conflicted about what to do. Wasn't _she_ the one who had told Richard that he didn't have the right to murder an individual just to get the one he wanted? But wasn't it a different matter if it was part of _herself_ who _wanted_ to do it?_

_With what her other half was proposing, she would be able to continue the confessor line and still be able to rule the way she wanted to. She would even be able to give Cara what she knew her mate would crave if she wasn't already, _despite_ her denials._

_Did she not have the right to take the parts that were being offered so willingly? _Her_ parts? Especially if it meant that she could continue to serve the Midlands and now D'Hara to the fullest by providing future confessors as well as heirs to the D'Haran throne. Wasn't it her duty? Wasn't it for the best? She didn't know what she should do and she didn't like the feeling._

_Out of the corner of her eye, Cara noticed the tightening of Kahlan's jaw and the rigid tension of her body. She'd stayed quiet during the entire meeting, highly offended by the confessor's accusation that she was developing _feelings_ for her. But now, seeing that the current topic was upsetting her mate, it caused something inside of Cara to bristle. She moved from her place at Kahlan's right side to put herself between the confessor and all that would threaten her._

"_Don't listen to her. She's confessed, she'll say anything she _thinks_ her mistress wants to hear." Cara said calmly._

"_No!" The other Kahlan said firmly, turning to meet Cara's steady gaze head on. Cara arched an eyebrow and Kahlan flushed as she averted her gaze. She clenched her hands briefly before speaking._

"_I mean yes, I _am_ confessed and would do anything for Mistress, but that isn't the only reason I want to do this." She rushed to say, meeting Cara's eyes with less of a challenge but full of determination. "Ever since I was a child, long before I was split in two, I dreamed of being able to have love _and_ children, a _real_ family to cherish instead of one born out of necessity and enslavement. And I was always told that I could never have those things, that what I had was a duty to the world._

"_But now, I have a chance to have all of the things I've ever wanted and still fulfill my duties. If sacrificing myself means that I could truly be happy in some way, then I would gladly pay the price." She said confidently and for a brief moment Cara could see a bit of the old Kahlan spark in her eyes._

_Cara looked over her shoulder to meet Kahlan's eyes. Ultimately it was her decision to make and they would all abide by it. Kahlan's eyes moved from Cara's to meet a gaze so identical to hers, yet so different._

"_Let me do this for you, for _us_. Please." Her other half implored, brilliant blue boring into brilliant blue. It wasn't lost on either Kahlan that one didn't call the other 'mistress'. They were simply equals in this decision._

_The Mother Confessor nodded in acquiesce._

"_Ok, we'll give it a try. Zedd, how soon can we begin?" She said, returning to herself._

"_As soon as I get a few thing from the Keep, Mistress." He said, coming to attention at her question._

"_Very well, collect what you need and bring them to my personal chambers. We'll begin when you return."_

"_Yes mistress." He said before leaving quickly, passing a captain of the Home Guard on his way out. The captain walked briskly through the room to bow before his lieges._

"_Mother Confessor, Lord Rahl, please forgive my intrusion but the Seeker is needed." He said, his tone urgent._

"_Can't it wait?" Richard asked more forcefully than he'd intended. It was just that the timing couldn't have been worse._

"_No Seeker," the captain said, looking at him in surprise. "It cannot."_

_Richard's jaw clenched._

"_It's alright Richard, go tend to what is needed." His mistress commanded gently._

_Richard hesitated a moment longer, reluctant to leave, before turning to the waiting soldier._

"_Lead the way." He said, gesturing towards the door. Just before he left, he looked back to see Kahlan smile at him before tuning a brighter smile onto their mistress._

"By the time I got back, everyone was leaving the council chambers. Cara was carrying Mistress in her arms. She was unconscious, her arm around Cara's neck and her face nuzzled against her throat.

"When I asked, you explained that everything was fine and that Mistress just needed some rest. You said that she would be able to conceive but that the other Kahlan hadn't survived. I asked if you knew why and you said that her body had already been dangerously unstable with so many emotions bombarding it constantly and that while the process eased some of the emotional strain, there wasn't enough of 'Kahlan' left to sustain herself and that she just disintegrated."

Zedd was speechless. He couldn't believe that he would _ever_ suggest killing Kahlan, much less be _ok_ with his part in it. Yet that was exactly what had happened. The longer he stayed in this world, the more he regretted erasing Dahlia from Cara's past and the sooner he wanted to correct the wrong. Richard didn't seem to notice Zedd's lack of words however and continued with his tale.

"And after Mistress got accustomed to her new emotions, she decided that she didn't want to have her children with prince Fyren but with Cara. She asked you and Nicci to see if there was any possible way for that to happen and here we are, nine years and two young confessors later." Richard finished with a happy smile.

Zedd forced a smile of his own, not knowing what else to do.

"Yes, here we are."

* * *

Kahlan sighed contently at the feeling of warm sunshine on her face and the cool sensation of the lake that enveloped the rest of her body. True to her word, once Cara had slowly brought her to a shuddering quivering mass of keening moans, they'd gone down to the shore of the lake where Kahlan had repaid her lover in full. Afterwards, they'd simply lain together for a while, reveling in the touch of each other's skin. Then Cara had pulled her to her feet and led her to the lake where they swam and played and just enjoyed the afternoon.

Now Kahlan was floating in the water while she waited for Cara to return from her dive. When she heard her resurface, she opened her eyes to see Cara standing in waist deep water slicking her hair back, causing her breasts to stand out and the muscles of her abdomen to tighten. The sight was enough to make Kahlan's entire body throb and she didn't think twice about swimming over and standing before her, her fingers grazing over Cara's torso. The blonde smiled at the touch before opening her eyes to meet Kahlan's shining ones. She wrapped her arms around the confessor and pulled her close before remembering that there was a question she wanted to ask her.

"Today, during your meeting with Zedd and Nicci," she began, wanting to gain Kahlan's attention.

"Yes?" Kahlan answered to indicate that she was listening as she wrapped her arms around Cara's shoulders.

"You spoke of a gift to present to D'Hara?" She said, leaning her head down to nip at Kahlan's shoulder. "What were you talking about?"

Kahlan smiled as she slid one of her hands along the back of Cara's neck and into her hair. Obviously she hadn't heard the first part of that conversation when she snuck into the chambers earlier that day.

"Well, you know how we have the solstice in D'Hara so that after winter has passed, we can return to Aydindril so that the people of the Midlands can be can be the first to meet the newest confessor?"

"Mhm." Cara responded, now kissing the spot she'd bitten.

"This time, I wanted to have the solstice here and then, when the time is right, D'Hara can be the first to not only meet another confessor but also to meet the newest heir to the throne." She finished in a soft voice. She felt Cara tense in her arms and wondered if she'd made the wrong decision.

"Does this make you happy?" She asked hesitantly, her voice quiet.

Cara pulled back and Kahlan's heart skipped a beat at what she saw. Cara's eyes were shining with tears and they were the brightest green Kahlan had ever seen. They bore into her, reaching in to brush her soul with the lightest of touches. Cara's expression seemed to be willing her, _pleading_ her to understand just what she was feeling, as if she couldn't find the right words to describe it.

"Do you know how happy _you_ make me?" Cara asked as she cupped Kahlan's face with both of her hands. She was at a loss to describe just how happy being with Kahlan made her. She swallowed, keeping their eyes locked, hoping that Kahlan would understand what she was going to say.

"I would endure being broken a _thousand_ times if it meant that I got to be here like this. With _you_, just like this."

Kahlan couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her lips before Cara had even finished her words. Her body flooded with so many emotions, she was having a hard time identifying them all and an even harder time containing them as tears began to leak from her eyes, Cara's thumbs reaching to catch them.

Saying 'I Love You' was a rare thing for them, not because it wasn't something they _needed_ to say. They just _knew_ how they felt about one another and vice versa so it was unnecessary. But in that moment, Kahlan wanted to say 'I Love You' so much that it seemed to radiate from her body, coating Cara's with it's warmth. Knowing just what Kahlan was feeling, Cara kissed her with all she was worth and suddenly, words weren't so important.

* * *

Zedd stood quietly as he watched Richard talk to Declan later that afternoon. He'd spent most of the day with Richard as he fulfilled his daily duties and now it was time to pick up the princesses from their lessons. They'd come across Declan on their way and Richard decided to ask him to pick up Dahlia. That was yet another thing in this world that perplexed Zedd so he waited patiently for Declan to leave before he asked his question.

"Richard, do you know how princess Dalia go her name?" He asked.

When he performed the spell of undoing on Dahlia, he had ensured that she'd never become a Mord'Sith. Therefore, any interaction she had with Cara should have been minimal at best and only limited to their childhood. Yet Cara's first born child was named after the very woman who should have had little to no connection to her. It was a very curious development.

"Of course I do, don't you remember?" Richard asked, looking at him hopefully. When he just smiled apologetically, he sighed, accepting that Zedd's memory would come back in it's own time.

"Do you remember how I said we found Declan after defeating the Keeper and sealing the rift?" He asked, Zedd nodded that he did.

"Well not long after that Cara got sick, really sick. So sick that she could've died but she never said anything. We didn't even realize that something was wrong until we woke up one morning and Cara wasn't moving. When we checked on her, her breathing was rapid and shallow and she was so hot that we could barely stand to touch her. You said you couldn't tell exactly what was wrong with her and that you needed a more proper place to examine her than the middle of the woods. Luckily Stowcroft was a half day's ride away.

"It took us the whole day and well into the night to rig a litter and get her there but when we did, no one wanted to open their door to a Mord'Sith, even _if_ she had been pardoned by the Mother Confessor. Our only other hope was Cara's sister who lived on the farthest edge of the village but before we could start that way, a young blonde woman beckoned us to follow her quickly to the cottage.

"When we got there, she instructed us to put Cara on the bed and then for me, you, and Declan to leave the room for a moment. We started to refuse until the woman asked for Kahlan's help and began to undress Cara and then we left. Later, while you examined Cara, the woman explained that she knew Cara as a child. That they had been friends and that she helped because she didn't blame Cara for being the victim of something she had no control over. Her name was-"

"Dahlia." Zedd supplied, putting the pieces together.

"Yes, Dahlia." Richard continued. "As you continued to examine Cara, Dahlia said that Cara had red puncture marks high on her left thigh, near her hip. When you moved the blanket that was covering her, the area Dahlia pointed out was angry red, puffy, and swollen and in the center were the two puncture marks oozing yellow pus. There was some shiny residue around the entire area and you explained that Cara had been struck by snake vine and that the residue was from Cara's attempt to heal it.

"You explained that while whatever herb Cara used helped, it was only a temporary fix. That without removing the thorns, her life was still in danger. You said that Cara must've thought she could get back to the Confessor's Palace before the poison could overtake her body and that it must have moved faster than she anticipated.

"It took you a full week to find all the ingredients you needed, purge the thorns from Cara's body, and help her recover from the poison. That entire time we all did what we could to help, including Declan, who never left Cara's side, and Dahlia who stayed home most of the time to watch Cara when we all needed rest, even though she was a teacher at the school. Even Cara's sister visited a few times.

"When Cara finally awoke, she refused to stay in bed one second longer than it took for her to walk on her own. You suggested that she take a few more days to recover but she glared and said that Mistress was waiting for us. So we thanked Dahlia, well Cara just nodded to her, and we left.

"Cara refused to fully rest until we returned to Aydindril and when we finally did, she collapsed. When Mistress asked, we explained what had happened and she immediately summoned Dahlia and offered her a reward but Dahlia refused. She said it was reward enough that she was able to help save Cara's life and to be personally thanked by the Mother Confessor for it. Mistress agreed to respect her wishes but when their first daughter was born, Mistress and Cara both agreed to name their first born for the woman who helped save Cara's life when no one else would." Richard concluded.

Zedd stayed quiet to ponder the uncanniness of Dahlia finding her way into Cara's life once again despite his efforts. At least this time was in a more positive way. He nodded absently to Richard when Richard told him to wait for a moment. When he returned he was leading the young princess Kari out of her classroom. He studied her briefly while she talked with Richard as they walked around the building to the grassy fields that lay behind it. He could already tell from her height that she would be tall like her mothers and that thought startled him.

This _child_, with _his_ help, was made of Cara _and _Kahlan and only them. He could clearly see traits from both women in her. Kahlan's long wavy hair, that she left down and her bright blue eyes but she had Cara's lips and high cheek bones. But it was more than that. The girl's own _mannerisms_ mirrored those of the women who sired her. Like the way her smile brightened her entire face like Cara or the way she walked with a gentle grace like Kahlan. And she carried herself with a subtle but unmistakable air of regality. One afforded her from being a Confessor _and_ a Rahl. She was the most perfect being he had ever seen magic help create and her sister was no different.

"Zedd? Is everything alright?" Richard asked when he noticed that Zedd had stopped walking with them and was just staring at Kari.

"Hm? Oh yes, everything is just fine." He said, breaking out of his trance to address Richard. He cleared his throat and was about to officially greet the princess but completely froze when his eyes met hers. Her eyes peered deeply into his, keeping him locked in place and focused on her until all he could see was bright blue. He knew he should look away but no matter how hard he tried to move, no matter how loud his mind screamed for him to turn away _now_, his entire body was frozen. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears and only got louder as Kari began to frown in confusion. The pounding was so loud that he thought he might go deaf from it.

Richard called her name but it sounded far away even though he was standing right next to them. It distracted her long enough to flick her eyes to him but before Zedd even had a chance to even breathe, her eyes were pinning him again. This time her brows began to furrow, as if she were working out a complicated puzzle, _quickly_. Zedd was certain the child was on the verge of figuring him out when she looked away completely. He almost stumbled with how sudden he was released and wondered frantically what made her look away.

But before he could decide whether he could disappear faster than she could confess him, Kari was running across the field. That's when he noticed Declan and Dahlia a few yards away. Dahlia was waving excitedly. Zedd couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him as he realized that her sister's call must've been what completely grabbed Kari's attention.

Richard began waving back and as he did, he asked,

"What was that all about?"

Zedd's chuckle was unsteady as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"That child has the Gift." He said after a moment to regain his composure. "And it's _very_ powerful."

"Who? Kari?" Richard asked, looking from Zedd to the child in question. Zedd only nodded. Richard laughed lightly. "No, she's just very perceptive. She probably just noticed that you were acting a little different than usual." He said with a confident smile.

Zedd wasn't so sure though. There was something _more_ to what just happened than simply noticing something different. It was as if she were drawing all his truths from him without ever even having to touch him. As a matter of fact, Zedd was _certain_ that's what she had been doing. Zedd studied the girl more closely as she ran into her sister's arms.

If she _did_ have the Gift and it was nurtured properly, the child could become a _very_ powerful sorceress. Maybe even more powerful than Shota. With the Gift, the powers of a Confessor, and the blood of the House of Rahl running through her veins, she would most certainly be the most powerful being in all the world. And the most dangerous. But she was still just a child now and she hadn't discovered Zedd's secret. He still had time to fix things.

Zedd blinked as he noticed the two girls' clothing. Dahlia wore a black confessor's dress, like all confessors that weren't the Mother Confessor wore. But her sister wore a dark red dress, not as elaborate as the one she wore for devotions, but like that dress, this one split into fourths at her waist to reveal black trousers.

"Why are they dressed differently? I thought all confessors wore the traditional black confessor dress." He asked. He could understand the difference a few days ago for the princess's first devotions but not on what seemed like an average day.

"Yes, but princess Kari isn't a confessor." Richard answered, serving only to confuse Zedd even more. At Zedd's expression, Richard quickly amended his statement with an apologetic smile. "I mean she _is_ a confessor but that's not her chosen path." When Zedd's confused expression barely changed, he elaborated.

"When princess Dahlia was born, no one was certain what that meant. She was the first confessor to be born since Darken Rahl's rein that nearly caused the extinction of the confessor race. But on the other hand, she was also the first legitimate heir of the new Rahl bloodline. Even though she was always told that she was a confessor first as she grew older, she was still free to choose what she wanted to do.

"Then princess Kari was born and the pressure for Dahlia to make a choice lessened and she was free to take her time and figure out what would make her happy. When Kari turned two, Dahlia announced that she wanted to be a confessor. She loved taking care of her sister and making her happy. She said that she wanted to do the same for the Midlands. Then by the time Kari turned three, she was inseparable from Cara and asked to start dressing the same as her, making her own decision rather obvious." Richard finished.

Zedd nodded in understanding but before he could utter a single word, he caught swift movement out of the corner of his right eye. He turned just in time to see a large creature with yellow fur, stealthily running through the grass towards him and Richard. One glimpse of it's ears and he knew what it was.

"A Heart Hound!" He gasped, even though he'd never seen one that color before. Richard looked up at Zedd's gasp and just as Zedd was raising his arms to conjure wizard's fire, Richard grabbed his arm.

"Zedd no!" He shouted before the heart hound was upon them. It pounced, it's large front paws landing solidly on Richard's chest, throwing him to the ground and effectively knocking the wind out of him with the power of the impact combined with it's shear size. Richard grunted as the beast landed on top of him, but instead of tearing into his chest and ripping out his heart like Zedd expected as he watched in horror, the creature simply licked the side of Richard's face in one long stroke.

Richard laughed despite the trouble he was having breathing, and Zedd's brows furrowed in confusion.

"All right, you win, you win." He wheezed, trying to dislodge the big animal from standing on top of his chest. "Kara, get off."

"_Kara_?" Zedd said to himself, even more confused as to what was happening. The heart hound's ear twitched in his direction at hearing him say it's name and eased off of Richard to sit obediently before them, it's bright green eyes moving from Richard to Zedd in a bored manner. It was very reminiscent of someone he knew but he was in too much shock to figure out who. He moved to crouch in front of the seemingly tame creature.

It sat tall and proud, watching with weary disinterest as Zedd hesitantly reached out to touch it. He marveled as his hand sifted through soft fur, his fingers snagging on a heavy chain hanging around it's neck. He followed the links until he was lifting a pendant out of the fur. It was the same special pendant he, Richard, and the few others that protected the Rahl family wore.

"Bags." He whispered in awe.

"Sorry about that Zedd, I didn't realize that you'd even forgotten about Kara." Richard said with a light chuckle as he sat up.

"Richard, this creature has been touched by some very Powerful Magic." Zedd said matter-of-factly as he continued to study said creature.

Kara rolled her eyes in an annoyed manner, as if she'd heard that very statement a hundred times. Richard laughed and Zedd blinked in surprise as he instantly realized just _who_ the hound reminded him of. Before he could comment on how very alike 'Kara' and her namesake were, Declan and the princesses walked up beside them, smiles on their faces.

"That's the second time she's gotten you this week." Declan said as he offered his hand to Richard. "You're loosing your edge old man." He teased, causing Dahlia to giggle.

"I'll show you an 'old man'" Richard countered as he tried to get Declan into a headlock but Kari's soft voice stopped their little tussle.

"He tried to attack Kara." She said, looking at Zedd.

Zedd's own smile at their antics faltered as all eyes turned to him. Declan's smile became uncertain.

"Yeah, he did." He said. "What was that all about?"

Before Richard could speak, Zedd said, "She just took me by surprise is all." His smile was firmly back in place as he made sure not to look at either girl. He gave Richard a meaningful glance, willing him to play along. The other Zedd may have helped raise this boy but he had no illusions as to where his loyalties lie. One false step around him and Zedd was as good as confessed.

Declan's smile faded at Zedd's explanation and the look he gave Richard.

"I see. Well it's time for Dahlia and Kari's weapon's lessons so we should go." He said, looking at Richard.

"Uhh, why don't you go on ahead and I'll catch up." Richard said after noticing Zedd's expression.

"Sure." Declan said and when Kari tugged on his hand twice, he automatically dropped to one knee. She climbed onto his back and he made sure she was comfortable before rising again. They turned to leave and Dahlia said,

"Come on Kara."

Once the hound was walking peacefully at her side, Declan said, "Alright, it's time for the question of the day."

Both girls smiled.

"Is there any way for a person to be released from confession without taking the life of the confessor responsible?" He asked.

"Yes." Dahlia said.

"And no." Kari supplied.

"Oh?" Declan asked, intrigued by their duel answers. "Explain."

"It's a trick question." Dahlia said. "With the aide of a quillion, one could extract all of a confessor's powers which would release all those confessed by her. But once you've taken away her powers, she will no longer be a confessor, so in a way, you _would_ have killed the confessor." She finished and Kari nodded in agreement.

Declan smiled and nodded once, accepting their answer.

"That one was too easy, give us a _real_ question." Dahlia said and Kari giggled.

"Alright alright, next question…" He said before his voice faded in the distance.

"So why didn't you want to tell Declan about your memory loss?" Richard asked after a moment.

Zedd turned to him.

"Since I've more or less gotten my memories back, I didn't think it was necessary to needlessly worry them." He said. He absolutely _hated_ lying to Richard, but with him being confessed, Zedd had no choice.

Richard nodded that he understood before he began speaking again.

"Well I should get going. I'll see you little later on, ok" He said as he began walking in the direction the others had disappeared in.

"Richard?" Zedd called before he got too far.

"Yeah Zedd?"

"How does the solstice work?"

Richard smiled.

"I'll give you one guess." He said and Zedd shared his smile before they said together,

"Powerful Magic."

Richard nodded.

"Yep. You said it had something to do with the full moon."

"The full moon? There's a full moon every month, what makes this one so special?"

"This one's different, bigger."

"_Bigger_?" Zedd muttered to himself in confusion.

"Listen Zedd, I have to go but I'll see you later. Bye." Richard said, jogging away before Zedd could respond. When he finally caught up with the others, they were almost to the training yard.

"Sorry about that." He said by way of greeting as he fell into step on Declan's left.

"What took you?" The younger of the two asked, Kari still riding comfortably on his back.

"I needed to talk to Zedd about a few things." Richard answered easily.

"That's not uncle Zedd." Kari replied softly, resting her chin on Declan's right shoulder. Everyone looked at her, Declan doing the best he could with her leaning against him.

"Of course it is Kari, he's just not feeling well, that's all." Richard responded, giving her a gentle reassuring smile but Kari just stayed quiet, causing Declan to frown while Dahlia continued to stare at her silent sister.

* * *

Zedd made his way to the stables and quickly saddled a horse. He couldn't stay in Aydindril any longer and risk being found out. He knew now what he had to do. He had to find Dahlia and reverse what he'd done. He only hoped that when he got back to the reality before this one, he would have the chance to perform the spell again, on Cara instead of Dahlia, like he'd originally planned.

Or perhaps he would get back in time to prevent the sisters of the dark from getting the Boxes of Orden and maybe even Jennsen. That way, all would be well and everyone could have the lives they deserved to have. Richard and Kahlan could truly be together and Cara would never have been broken and could even find love with Leo again. Either way, he couldn't stay in _this_ world.

Just as he was about to climb into his saddle, someone stepped out of the shadows near the stable doors. Her eyes glowed white briefly with the power of her Han before Nicci asked,

"Where are you going?" Her gaze was level and her tone calm. Zedd couldn't detect any suspicion or threat from her, just genuine curiosity.

"I had a nightmare about my brother last night and thought that it was as good a sign as any to go see him." He said easily.

Nicci arched an elegant eyebrow, studying him for a moment before stating simply,

"No."

"_No_?" Zedd asked, shocked by her casual yet firm response.

"There's no time. Send your brother a letter to make sure all is well but other than that, you'll have to wait until after the solstice to go and visit." She said, turning to leave.

"I wouldn't be gone long, perhaps a day or two. Surely you could start without me?" He asked. She stopped and turned her head to glance at him over her shoulder.

"The solstice is in two weeks. If _we_ do not begin preparing immediately, we may miss our chance." She stated calmly.

Zedd noticed that she was studying him intently and alarm bells started going off in his mind. She was testing him, telling him things he _should_ already know. He bristled. Whether in this world or his own, he was certain the other Zedd didn't like his intelligence insulted any more than he did.

"I am highly aware of that Nicci, I was simply inquiring if you could handle things on you own for a couple of days. We've done this twice before already and I'd thought perhaps you might be able to manage a _few_ things by yourself but obviously I was mistaken." He said smoothly, looking down his nose at her. One thing he didn't have to fake was his distaste for her.

Nicci's jaw clenched briefly and her eyes narrowed but she was no longer studying him to see what he might say or do.

"There are things you know that I do not. It's best if you're here until after the solstice has passed."

"Well then, there's no time to waste." He said, handing the reins of his horse to the stable boy. He walked to the doors and held out his arm, inviting her to precede him.

"Let's begin, shall we?"

* * *

Cara breathed deeply, taking in the fresh air around her before releasing it slowly. The sun would be setting soon so they were getting ready to leave the lake when she paused in getting dressed, simply to admire the beauty around her. The area reminded her a lot of the Grottos of the Northern Foothills, the only place where the night wisps were born. Unbidden, a smile came to her face as her memories of the phenomenon surfaced.

The previous year, she and Kahlan had taken Dahlia and Kari to the grottos to see the night wisps being born. A new generation of confessors to meet a new generation of wisps. It had been the most magical and the most _beautiful_ experience of her life. She would never forget the looks on her family's faces as the night sky filled with hundreds of tiny blue lights, the very air alive with life.

And she would never forget how ecstatic they had been when they realized that she could understand the tiny creatures. The girls couldn't contain their squeals of joy and Kahlan had given her this _kiss_ that literally took her breath away before giving her a bright loving smile. Cara closed her eyes as she remembered that smile. It had held nothing back and melted Cara's heart right where she stood. She would do _anything_ for that smile.

As if Cara's thoughts had summoned her, Kahlan's arms wrapped around her waist and she pressed herself tightly against Cara's back.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked with a soft smile. She pressed a light kiss to Cara's ear.

"I was just remembering when we took Dahlia and Kari to see the birth of the night wisps." Cara replied, still smiling with her eyes closed.

Kahlan's hands paused from their task of tucking Cara's tunic into her trousers and she pulled Cara into a tight hug.

"That was one of the best memories of my life." She whispered, leaning her head against Cara's.

"Mine too." Cara said, her voice barely a whisper. "And I think it's the same for the girls. I want to take _her_, our next daughter, to see it. I…I want to take _all_ of our daughters to see it. The ones we have now, and the ones we _will_ have."

Kahlan pressed another kiss to her temple and Cara leaned into the touch.

"We will." She whispered. "I promise."

* * *

Zedd dragged himself into his bed in the Keep, having finally escaped Nicci late that night. He didn't know how but he'd managed to stumble through the night without Nicci catching on to the fact that he had no idea what he was doing. Most of that had to do with the detailed tomes they kept on the solstice but since he only got glimpses of it, whenever he _did_ trip up, he blamed it on being distracted with worry for his brother's health. He knew that excuse wouldn't last much longer since Nicci expected him to send a letter inquiring about his brother the next day. His only chance of getting through this was to get his hands on those tomes and study every single detail they had to offer without Nicci getting suspicious.

That, he was certain he could accomplish since Nicci didn't live in the Keep but there was an even bigger problem he now found himself in. He'd managed to glean from Nicci that once the solstice had passed, he wouldn't be able to leave immediately as he'd first thought. He would still have to stay in Aydindril at least another week to make sure that Kahlan had properly conceived and that she and the baby were healthy and doing fine. That meant a whole week of being up close and personal with Kahlan, _at least_. He'd gotten lucky that day with Cara distracting Kahlan. He knew he would not get so lucky again. He wouldn't last a day.

That meant there was only one thing he _could_ do. He had no idea how it would affect the universe but he had no choice. He would _have_ to perform the spell of undoing on Cara again and pray to the Creator that it didn't rip the fabric of time and space apart.

* * *

Cara was already out of their bed and halfway across the room before Kahlan realized that what had woken her out of her sleep was the sound of their daughters screaming. By the time she ran out of their room and down the hall to their daughters' room, Cara was shoving one of the guards against the wall. Kahlan hadn't even noticed Cara had grabbed one of her agiels until it was mere inches from the man's face. By then the screaming had stopped and been replaced by crying.

"_What happened?_" Cara growled dangerously, her jaw tight.

"We- we d..don't know Lord Rahl. They just started screaming all of a sudden." The man stammered in a frightened voice. Cara's eyes narrowed to slits before she barely grazed her agiel across his neck. The blood vessels in his neck instantly bulged and strained before bursting just under his skin and he released a high pitched pained squeal, trying his hardest not to scream. His mouth filled with blood as he bit through his own tongue.

"So my children start screaming 'all of a sudden', and you're out here _why_?" She asked calmly, preparing to use her agiel again when the man she was holding didn't answer, his eyes instead rolling into the back of his head as his body began to convulse, blood frothing in his mouth.

"The hound my lord." The other guard spoke up, not wanting to watch his comrade's torture any longer. He wasn't sure he'd made the right decision when Cara's deadly gaze swiftly turned on him. He dropped his eyes to the floor before speaking again. "The hound wouldn't let us past, Lord Rahl."

Before Cara could begin to make _both_ guards regret ever choosing to face _her_ instead of the heart hound inside of the room, Kahlan put her hand on Cara's shoulder, reminding her that they had more important things to tend to. Cara let the first guard drop to the floor and entered the room without a second glance backwards. Before Kahlan followed her, she turned to the man left standing, her eyes cold as ice.

"Do not be here when we return. _Either_ of you." She said, her tone leaving no doubt as to what would happen to _both_ men if either one disobeyed. She walked through the door and into the dark sitting room, quickly making her way to the bedroom on the other side. She pushed into the room, leaving both Caras on the steps. She made it to the center of the room before both girls were running into her arms, crying and sobbing loudly.

Cara stood rigid at the top of the stairs, anger and most of all fear, preventing her from going any further into the room. Her entire body was tight with tension, the arm holding her agiel trembling slightly. Kara stood beside her, her muscles coiled so tightly they were hard as rock, her fur flaring up in every direction, making her look twice as big as she was. Her teeth were bared and a low constant menacing growl was emitting from deep within her throat.

Kahlan soothed their daughters, rubbing their backs and whispering that everything was alright until they started to calm down, causing Kara to growl louder.

"Kara!" Cara snapped and the heart hound's resulting whimper melted into a soft whine. Kahlan looked over her shoulder at her family's two bravest and fiercest protectors. She knew that Cara didn't mean to snap any more that the hound was hurt by it. They were both just worried about Dahlia and Kari and didn't know what to do about it. She turned back to the girls, coaxing them to look at her.

"What's happened?" She asked softly, caressing both girls' cheeks. Dahlia was the first to speak.

"We had a bad dream." She whispered, sniffling as she did.

"Both of you? The same one?" Kahlan asked curiously.

"Uh huh." Kari hiccupped, rubbing her eyes with her tiny fists.

"What was it, can you remember?" Kahlan asked gently, her hands moving to smooth their hair.

"A scary man was hurting Papa and he wouldn't stop." Kari said, her voice quivering dangerously, threatening to dissolve her into more tears. Dahlia whimpered and then Cara was instantly kneeling beside them, wrapping her arms around all three confessors.

"Shh, it's ok, I'm right here, there's nothing to worry about." She whispered urgently, squeezing her eyes tight against her own fears. When Dahlia and Kari had settled down again, she pulled back to look at them. "See? Everything's fine."

"But the scary man." Kari whimpered, her eyes still watery with fresh tears just waiting to spill over.

"Look at me, both of you." Cara said gently but firmly, waiting for both girls to meet her eyes. "As long as _all_ of you are safe," She started, quickly flicking her eyes to Kahlan so that she knew Cara was talking about her as well. "As long as all of you are safe, _nothing_ could ever hurt me. Okay?"

Both girls just sniffled for a moment before Kari asked, "Even Kara?"

Cara could help her soft laugh of relief or the sting of her own tears just behind her eyes. The heart hound crawled to them on her stomach and crowded in on Cara's right. She reached her hand down to ruffle blonde fur and nodded.

"Yes, even Kara. As long as I have all of you safe and sound, everything will be fine."

"Papa?" Dahlia called softly and Cara blinked at her in surprise. Ever since Dahlia had announced that she wanted to follow in the footsteps of the confessors before her, she'd stopped calling Kahlan and Cara 'Mama and Papa' in exchange for 'Mother and Father'. And while Cara was proud of and respected her daughter's decision, she still missed when Dahlia was _just_ her little girl instead of the next confessor of the Midlands.

"Yes Dahlia?" She answered.

"Can Kari and I sleep with you and Mama tonight?" She asked hesitantly.

Cara moved swiftly to press a loving kiss to Dahlia's forehead.

"Of course you can." She whispered. "Always."

She let them go briefly to pick up her agiel that she'd put safely to the side. She held the chain before Kara and the heart hound took the chain tenderly between it's large, sharp teeth. Then she wordlessly lifted Kari her arms and offered her free hand to Dahlia. Dahlia stood and quickly took her hand while Kari wrapped her arms around her papa's neck and buried her face in her neck. Kahlan also rose to her feet, her and Cara's eyes meeting briefly before they all left the room.

In the hallway, there were two new guards flanking the door. They silently thumped their right fists to their hearts in salute to their Lord Rahl but Cara only ignored them as she led her family to her and Kahlan's own rooms. When they were at the foot of the bed, Cara let go of Dahlia's hand so that she could go with Kahlan to climb in on one side while she carried Kari to the opposite side. Kara placed the agiel on one of the overstuffed chairs in the room before climbing back up the stairs and lying down to the right of the closed bedroom door, just like she did in the girls' room.

Once everyone was comfortable, it didn't take long for Kari and Dahlia to drift off to sleep, holding each other's hand as their parent's curled around them protectively. Cara's eyes met Kahlan's worried ones and she smiled reassuringly. She waited for Kahlan to drift off as well before letting her smile fade away. She hadn't told Kahlan why she was already awake when Dahlia and Kari started screaming. She hadn't told her that she'd also had a nightmare. She hadn't told her that it was almost the same one their daughters had had.

At first it had started that way, a hooded man torturing her. But Cara was Mord'Sith, down to her very core and there was _no one_, dead or alive, who could truly hurt her. But then the man had found her weakness. He had found her only fear and exploited it. He'd taken her family away from her.

And then, and _only_ then did Cara break.

TBC


End file.
